Over the past many days, I have been witnessing road accidents almost every day. Some are minor, while others are frightening enough to make you stop and think about how easily an ordinary drive can turn into a tragedy.
This morning, I saw a car that had overturned after a collision. I do not know what happened to the driver or whether anyone else was inside. All I could do was hope that the people involved were safe. And then I found myself wondering: what if there had been children in that car? The thought is deeply disturbing.
What is causing so many of these accidents? Is it speeding? Is it impatience? Distracted driving? Or perhaps simply the thrill of speed?
I often wonder what we are really gaining by driving faster. What difference does it make if we reach our destination five minutes earlier? Are those five minutes really worth putting our own lives, and the lives of complete strangers, at risk?
What worries me even more is that speeding is not limited to highways or major roads. I have seen cars speeding even on smaller residential and internal roads, where pedestrians, children, cyclists and other vehicles may appear unexpectedly. These are precisely the places where we should be more careful, not less.
Perhaps some drivers believe they are in control because they are experienced or because their cars are capable of high speeds. But roads are shared spaces. We cannot control how another driver behaves, when a pedestrian may cross, or when something unexpected might happen.
One moment of excessive speed can leave consequences that last a lifetime.
We often talk about road safety in terms of traffic rules, fines and enforcement. Those things are important, but I believe there is also a personal responsibility that each of us must accept. Before pressing the accelerator, perhaps we should ask ourselves a simple question: Is getting there a few minutes earlier worth the risk?
I am not writing this as someone who has never made a mistake on the road. I am writing as an ordinary person who has become increasingly worried by what I am seeing around me. Every overturned vehicle, every collision and every near miss is a reminder that behind every car is a human being, a parent, a child, a spouse, a friend.
We need to slow down, be patient and remember that reaching home safely is far more important than reaching home quickly.
Let us not wait for another serious accident to remind us of this.
Anne
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