When we need a helping hand!

THE fact that we have recorded two more deaths on our roads is a concern. What do you say though about the action of bystanders who, instead of assisting the victim in one incident, pulled out their mobile phones to record videos of the accident?

On Wednesday, a 74-year-old man who was making his way home after picking up his grandson from school was allegedly hit by a speeding vehicle in Nakasi.

Surendra Prasad was allegedly sent flying and landed on his neighbour’s driveway.

Sashi Kiran Singh, who took care of the deceased and his wife, claimed the driver then sped off.

Then Ms Singh claims, instead of rushing to aid the injured man, bystanders pulled out their phones, capturing the tragedy on video. She claimed some created TikTok videos!

Ms Singh called emergency services in a frantic attempt to save Mr Prasad’s life.

She claims she was confronted by a crowd more interested in documenting the tragedy than lending a helping hand.

Assistance, she claimed, arrived two hours after the tragedy.

Police confirmed the vehicle that hit Mr Prasad was driven by a 17-year-old student.

In the second incident a 38-year-old man’s car allegedly struck a 21-year-old male the same day at Ratu Dovi Rd, near Nadera, Nasinu.

He was taken to the Valelevu Health Centre but was pronounced dead on arrival. The national road death toll stands at 14, compared with 19 for the same period last year.

Any death on our roads because of a vehicle accident is a waste of life.

We reflect on prevention, and campaigns that target road safety.

We reflect on awareness campaigns that focus on helping our people appreciate life, and placing value on it, subsequently playing a key role in road safety. Yet every year, we still have deaths.

Road accidents happen because we allow them. They happen because we aren’t embracing the need for road safety.

Road accidents can be prevented. However, the fight needs us to be engaged. It needs us to make a mindset change.

That means understanding road rules and adhering to them.

It means knowing what is right and wrong, and trying to be a catalyst for change.

It is a major concern though when people take out their mobile phones for videos instead of assisting those involved in a road accident.

It is sad, and for some people, it is humbling as well. It reflects the value some people place on life, that even at the stage of life ebbing away, some will choose, instinctively, to pull out their mobile phones for a video.

We wonder whether this reflects a fragmented society. We wonder about the state of mind of people who do that, and whether we have some concern left in us to land a helping hand in times of trouble.

Road safety is much more than just following road rules. It’s about nurturing a society that prioritizes human life and embraces immediate action in the face of suffering.

A helping hand can make a difference!