Need for vigilance
TRAGEDY: Chloe Louw PARENTS should not have to bury their own children, and when the child’s death comes at the hands of a reckless or negligent driver – as appears to have been the case with 10-month-old Chloe Louw – the harshest penalty should be applied to the culprit.
But the callousness of the act of causing the death of a child doesn’t end there. The driver allegedly responsible for the fatal crash fled, escaping responsibility for their actions.
The DFA’s sister newspaper, the Cape Argus, yesterday made a point of urging the authorities to spare no resource in finding the person responsible for this act, and once they are brought to book, to deal with them with the full might of the law.
They also urged other road users, motorists, passengers and pedestrians to be extra vigilant over the festive period.
It’s not called the Silly Season for nothing – there is a marked increase in road fatalities due to negligence, drunken driving, and a general drop in common sense among all road users that appears to be synonymous with the festive period.
The festive season death toll is something you will hear and read about more and more during December and into January.
Roadblocks to catch errant drivers increase, there is an extra deployment of law enforcement and traffic staff on the roads, and multiple media campaigns urge restraint and common sense to be applied during this period.
This newspaper, along with the Cape Argus joins the call.
If you drink, don’t drive. When you’re in a vehicle, buckle up. If you’re driving, don’t speed. If you’re using the road – whether behind the wheel, handlebars or on your feet – be extra vigilant and always be aware of your surroundings. Look out for the other road users.
And for goodness’ sake, stop using your mobile device! You are not fully concentrating on your driving if you are using a cellphone, whether you’re holding it up to your ear and having that “important” conversation, and steering your car with your elbow in the process; or – even worse – reading and sending text messages.
This practice has to stop.
Look, no matter how careful you are, accidents do happen, and though it might not be your fault, that won’t necessarily stop you from becoming a statistic.
This all appears to be common sense at all other times during the year. Why should the onset of the Silly Season change our mindsets?
Let’s keep the 2017 holiday season from being silly, and maintain its status as “festive”.