Chain reaction in road crashes

LAST week, nine secondary school students who were on their way to school in an MPV were involved in an accident in Pitas, Sabah.

Four of the students were killed and the others injured when the MPV hit a pothole and turned turtle. The accident happened at 6.30am.

One of the students who had a driving licence was driving the vehicle. Speeding has been identified as the likely cause of the accident.

On Sunday, nine people were killed in a van-truck collision at KM45 of the Jalan Ipoh-Teluk Intan road near Tapah, Perak.

A man and eight women in the van died at the scene of the crash which occurred at 6.30am.

The driver of the truck was believed to have been speeding, lost control and veered into the opposite lane, crashing head-on with the van. The spot was known as an accident-prone area.

Road conditions can cause accidents. Potholes when left unattended can widen and deepen.

When vehicles go over them, they jolt suddenly, which can cause new drivers to lose control.

Road curves and sharp corners can cause accidents for speeding drivers who are unable to control their vehicles.

Both accidents happened at 6.30am when it was still dark. Did the roads have street lights?

The human factor could also be a contributory factor to the accidents.

Were the drivers sleepy or fatigued? In the MPV accident, it is inconceivable that the vehicle could be carrying nine students. How did the students cram themselves into the vehicle with their school bags as well? Drivers need to be skilled to drive vehicles with extra load.

Were the MPV and ice truck roadworthy? Were the brakes and tyres in good condition? These can factor in, especially when the driver is driving at speed.

When you are speeding and a tyre bursts or the brakes fail, the result would be catastrophic.

Many would be unable to control a speeding vehicle when such things happen.

We need to unravel the factors that caused both the accidents so that similar incidents can be prevented from happening again.

Accidents do not just happen; they are caused by a chain of critical events and factors. SAMUEL YESUIAH Seremban