EDITORIAL: Keep safety foremost in your minds while on the roads

THE tragedies that occurred this past weekend in vehicular accidents are heartbreaking and it is hoped that the families and friends of those who lost their lives, find some measure of comfort amidst their pain.

No one wants to think about losing a loved one, and it is even more devastating if it is an unexpected loss. However, that is a risk that we all take from the time we leave our homes to traverse the roadways. Whether a pedestrian, a cyclist, a motorcyclist or a driver, there is some element of risk involved when dealing with human frailty, dangerous machinery, and a number of other mitigating factors which can lead to accidents. In the final analysis, one can take steps to try to avert the potential dangers and, hopefully, the more safety measures are employed, the less likely one would be to get into an accident.

Be alert

Some measures include, first of all, being familiar with the Highway Code and knowing the regulations for the use of dual carriage-ways and acceleration and deceleration lanes, for instance; knowing the correct meaning of signage; and giving due respect to other road users – even push-cart vendors and farmers herding flocks. All of this comes with the personal responsibility as a road user, of being alert and aware of your surroundings.

For the past few months of 2021, road users have had to contend with an additional concern, namely hazardous roads as a result of sediment from ashfall, and flooding after heavy rains. Although a national clean-up programme has done remarkably well at doing the “heavy lifting”, there is still evidence of fine, gravelly, sediment on the roads – especially those downhill where rainwater flows. Road users should therefore be cognisant of the fact that braking in these areas may not result in an abrupt stop, but may in fact cause a vehicle to slide.

Never be complacent

Awareness such as this is vital if we are to improve road safety and reduce fatalities. The local group, Barbados Road Safety Association (BRSA), has long been a driving force behind pushing public education campaigns and national initiatives like new signage, and continues in its efforts to pinpoint dangerous road practices and encourage better road use to save lives. They follow on the heels of an international agenda which saw 2021 to 2030 named the second Decade of Action for Road Safety – preventing 50% of road traffic deaths and injuries.

In the end though, it is each person’s responsibility to think about safety every time they use the roads. We must never be complacent when it comes to being safe, as this complacency to road use is what leads to accidents and this is something we need never to forget.