Be considerate on our roads

Are you waking up every morning wondering if you will survive this day or not to live to see the next day?

This a question posed by many as they read in our daily media the many accidents on our roads each day.

Pedestrians are fearing for their own lives when they are walking along the footpath to work, to school, to a shop or even to church; all because of a number of careless drivers on our roads today. For the past couple of months, we have seen regular of accidents on our roads, either causing the death of another driver, a passenger or a pedestrian.

All in all, the fear to travel on any public service vehicle or to even walk on the streets increases within a small island nation such as ours. According to a report on the Fijian Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011- 2020), the National Action Plan showed that globally each year, nearly 1.3 million people die and a further 50 million are injured due to traffic accidents. Of the 50 million injured many remain disabled for life.

In Fiji, about 50 persons are killed and 2,500 injured annually. Most of those who have lost their lives are young productive people.

Road traffic accidents cost the Fijian economy about $30-40 million annually.

The report states that the situation is alarming and it is expected to worsen if action is not taken now by the relevant authorities and the public at large.

Drivers in Fiji are either becoming inconsiderate or they have a mindset of believing that the roads belong to them. Drivers continue to have unsafe driving habits.

Most of the accidents confirmed by Police revealed that the drivers were careless, drunk or speeding. When visiting the families of the accident victims, you can see the sadness in their eyes asking that one question ‘how could this happen?’ Those families who have and are faced with the news of their loved ones who have died on our roads are faced with trauma. They would never believe that saying goodbye to a mother that morning before heading to work or school would mean not seeing her that evening. Who would believe that a night of enjoying in the clubs would mean dying on the roads the next morning?

Who would believe that you were just laughing and enjoying an afternoon with your loved ones and then end up on the hospital bed in critical condition? For drivers, for those who actually drink and drive picture yourself on the hospital bed breathing your last few breaths surrounded by your family, picture the pain your wife and children or mum and dad would be facing giving their final goodbye before your funeral.

Drivers who speed on the road and carelessly feel the road is theirs, sit down with your family and take a look at their faces, think to yourself if a careless driver took the life of one of your family members. How would you feel?

Let’s wake up Fiji, drivers be considerate on our roads, comply with the traffic rules and regulations and the general public, always be cautious on our roads.

Let’s keep each other safe on our roads.

According to a report on Fijian Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011- 2020), the National Action Plan showed that globally each year, nearly 1.3 million people die and a further 50 million are injured due to traffic accidents. Of the 50 million injured many remain disabled for life.