We need to change driving culture

SOMETIME not so long ago, the Sunday News published a letter by prolific contributor Lawrence “The Pen Pusher” Moyo suggesting the dualisation of the national highway as a means of reducing road accidents. I have to say that this is a brilliant idea. Road accident statistics in the country have continued to rise unabated. Something has to be done about this.

What is patent if not disturbingly clear is that the widespread presence of police on the country’s roads does not seem to have a deterrent effect on road users, particularly the drivers. The police presence on the roads seems to me at least to be serving other purposes, other than reducing accidents. Let me leave it at that.

Recurring to Lawrence’s idea, the problem is this: dualisation is just expensive both to implement/construct and to maintain even for oil producing countries. We are talking about tarmacadamisation at the end of other initial processes. You then find that you have not reduced road accidents at all because the driving culture and habits have remained the same. Yes, head on accidents may be reduced but not side swipes. Side swipes do occur when vehicles are overtaking each other. It’s the driving culture we need to change. And we “aint gonna” do it anytime soon, even in a whole life time.

If the stinking rich countries rich can’t do it, how can we? Health care needs funds. Education needs funds. And defence and what have you. Road accidents, as indicated above, result from bad driving habits by motorists.

Educating road users does not require an experimentally huge outlay as would healthcare and national education etc. Otherwise road accidents and the fatalities arising consequently are the price we will have to pay without ceasing as a nation.