But
the carelessness and aloofness with which some pedestrians use the roads is
something worth discussing also.
The
statistics as a result of road accidents and killings is gruesome. The scale of
blame tilts mostly towards the drivers and less towards the pedestrian(s). But,
these road safety campaigners sometimes forget that the road user is as
culpable in causing accidents in same measure as the guy behind the wheels.
This
isn’t the reason for this post. My major concern has to do with the strange
happenings on our roads, reference to the route I ply back and forth, each day.
On
the route I ply each day, I witness with grave apprehension the aloofness with
which pedestrians use the road. It appears these pedestrians expect the driver
of the car, who has a right to the road, to either stop for them to cross (yes
a driver is expected to do so at zebra crossings or as a favour) or wait on
them to take all the time in the world to cross the road (very irritating).
Some
also cross without care at traffic lights when the light is green, expecting
the driver to pull his breaks upon seeing them. Then there are those who block
roads to host ‘festive’ gatherings without recourse to notification.
The
situation is vivid at traffic intersections where pedestrians cross without
heeding to traffic signals. The beam will be green yet you’ll find people
crossing and woe betides you if you complain or honk on them. Some of these persons even have the audacity
to look the driver in the eye and spew very unprintable words on him/her as if
the person has committed the gravest crime ever recorded in the annals of time.
Accidents
occur even when one is cautious. That is, one can’t predict the occurrence of
an accident. Of course, some of our behaviours do put us in a precarious
position to get injured or killed.
Vehicles,
like any man made machine, are prone to faults. So a car might have a brake
failure whiles in motion. And imagine a pedestrian ‘swagging’ on the road; the
consequences won’t be a pretty one.
As
people we must recognize how important life is. You may survive an accident but
your may never recover from its effect. Road users must also note that they are
as responsible in ensuring good road safety measures as the driver of a car.
As
for the okada drivers and their comportment on the road it makes sense when you
hear some road safety advocates call for its ban. They are as reckless and
sometimes stupid in their driving as the adjectives used.
Life
is precious. And we should all be a little cautious when using the
road. Such unnecessary deaths/accidents
can be reduced drastically if we exercise a bit of caution. A word to the wise…
