EDITORIAL

President of the Barbados Road Safety Association (BRSA), Sharmane Roland-Bowen, must be commended for sending a clear message to the public about acceptable behaviour for motorists.

Over the weekend, as Barbados joined other nations in celebrating “World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims” at a service at Bethel Methodist Church, the BRSA head clarified that “a designated driver is not the individual who has had the least number of drinks, and drinking responsibly is not when you feel ‘tipsy’ and stop drinking”.

Though this might seem obvious to some, to others the freedom to make decisions on how these terms are defined allows for them to make unreasonable, dangerous choices, which endanger themselves and others. While the advertisements encouraging safe driving appear straightforward, to those intent on falling under the influence of alcohol (and/or drugs) or to those already under the influence, there is always a loophole through which poor judgement can pass.
Instead, Roland-Bowen urged people to abstain from drinking if you know you have to drive and not rely on personal judgement of whether you have consumed responsibly, or on other people’s abilities if they have consumed alcohol at all. These are crucial steps that should be applied in every instance if motorists and pedestrians are to be safe from drunk drivers.

Reckless driving still a headache
Another aspect of maintaining safe roads involves removing reckless drivers. The solution to this problem unfortunately still eludes the authorities, just as the drivers themselves seem to elude the long arm of the law.

For years, lawless street grandstanding has been evident on this country’s highways, especially at nights. There are very few people who are not aware of the antics of these motorists and many in fact actively seek to avoid areas where they are known to congregate.

Furthermore, this paper is on record not only calling for this practice to be nipped in the bud, but also urging business owners to dissuade loitering on their premises. While some may find nothing sinister about liming, there is an old adage that has been proven throughout time; one that still holds true in this case – “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop”. And since drivers usually congregate at these locations at the start and end of their daredevil displays, it should be easy to pinpoint exactly who is responsible for reckless driving. We urge the owners of properties to implement a strict “no loitering” policy.

We empathise with the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) as it carries the heavy burden of ensuring the safety of every citizen in this country and ask that it be given any assistance possible as they seek to ensure road safety. Plagued as it is with limited manpower, the RBPF should not have to deal with the antics of a ridiculous few, who have taken the step from being idle to lawless.

We also call on families who know that a loved one may be involved in this type of reckless behaviour to speak up now to convince them to stop their actions before it is too late. You may be saving their lives or the lives of someone else.