EDITORIAL

There are over 130 000 vehicles on the road, and behind every steering wheel, lies a myriad of different personalities with places to go and times to be there. One can only imagine the pure anarchy that could result if they were no rules to govern the safe use of the roads. While it is true that guidelines such as The Barbados Highway Code and the Road Traffic Regulations Act are in existence, the admission must be made that travelling on our roads has been known to cause much anxiety, bewilderment and outright road rage due to the daily occurrence of unsafe practices and driving infractions.

 

It is our intention to address some of these infractions in the hope that we can shed light on their prevalence as well as offer some solutions.

 

It is a regular occurrence to be held up in traffic on the Adams-Barrow-Cummins (ABC) highway due to the fact that two drivers are driving side-by-side well below the speed limit in the dual lanes. A look at the road traffic regulations Act Cap 295 speaks to this practice directly and states that vehicles must drive as close to the left side of the road as possible to allow other vehicles to pass, and in every case whether or not he is being overtaken, he shall drive so as to give as much space as possible for the passing of other traffic and shall not keep abreast any vehicle when that vehicle is overtaking him.

 

Another unsafe practice is the plying of trade along the highway. We have been seeing more and more vendors emerging along the highways selling such goods as fresh eggs, to fruits and vegetables, newspapers and coconuts to name a few. While it is not our intention to prevent anyone from making an honest living, we must all bear in mind that this practice creates an unsafe scenario for both the vendor and the vehicles using the road. Many times the vendor has to cross through the lanes to go to the other side of the road to get his goods to the buyer who has parked on the verge awaiting the delivery of said goods. Crossing a highway with cars travelling at 80km/hr is never a good idea and doing so several times a day increases the probability of an accident occurring.

 

The next issue is with the improper use of roundabouts. The general rule on roundabouts is to give way to those approaching from the right unless road markings indicate otherwise, but to keep moving if the way is clear. A common misconception is that it is to be treated like a major stop. You should not stop at the roundabout unless forced to so by traffic. Also, unless road markings indicate otherwise, when there are two lanes, the right lane should be used when going right. For left turns you should approach on the left and stay and exit on the left. The final point to be broached is that of merging. Merging is designed to permit vehicles to enter and exit a highway without causing disruption in the flow of traffic. To merge correctly the driver must assess the gaps and speed of the oncoming traffic, signal and use the acceleration lane to match the speed flow and ease the vehicle into the appropriate gap.

 

Statistics tell us that there are almost 24 road fatalities a year and of those fatalities almost all are avoidable. Making roads safer depends as much on well-constructed roads, laws and their enforcement, as it does on the public being educated about these laws on road usage. To this end, The Barbados Highway Code should be put online for every Barbadian to read free of charge. The public has not been educated sufficiently on the use of our highways and it is causing many unsafe practices to be perpetuated. The government should further have more programmes on the local channel to educate all Barbadians on the correct usage of our roads. Let’s make our roads safer and save lives by having an informed public!