Road safety reminder

AN early morning accident along the Queens Rd in Veisari this week resulted in another death on our roads. Police said the victim, a taxidriver who lived in Davuilevu, was returning from dropping off passengers in the Namosi area when the accident happened. According to police, the driver was feeling unwell which resulted in his inability to control his vehicle, causing it to veer on to the opposite lane and collide with a truck.

The man had a previous medical history and a postmortem examination would be conducted to ascertain the cause of death.

As investigations into the tragic accident continue, we are reminded about the importance of life.

We are reminded about how fragile it can be. Many times accidents happen because we allow them to.

We have always raised the issue of road accidents and road safety in the lead-up to the festive season every year.

It’s because of the expected heavy traffic movement around the country.

As we look ahead to the annual Marist 7s rugby tournament which starts today, we must remind ourselves about safety matters.

The weather was overcast yesterday.

Let’s drive carefully.

Let’s remind ourselves about the fact that road deaths leave behind much more than just pain and suffering.

There’s lost productivity and there is a cost attached to emergency services, and to the post-accident care for survivors.

Police records list factors that cause road accidents. They range from speeding, to inconsiderate driving. Speeding has always ranked high as a major cause of road accidents in Fiji for starters.

It’s followed by careless driving and the fact that pedestrians can also be at fault.

There have also been accidents caused by driver fatigue, dangerous driving, drink-driving, and hit and run accidents.

We are causing road accidents!

We are speeding, driving carelessly, and not adhering to road safety tips when we walk on the side of the road.

Sometimes we do not have enough rest before we start a journey. We drive dangerously and we still take the wheel when we are drunk.

In a report on UN News, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the millions of lives lost every year due to road traffic collisions was an outrage.

“It is an unacceptable price to pay for mobility,” he said.

Road traffic accidents took some 1.35 million lives annually and cost most countries 3 per cent of their gross domestic product.

At home, we see awareness campaigns organised, we listen to talks, and workshops tell us about road safety tips.

Yet every year, we continue to have accidents that either cost us a life, or serious injury.

So let’s remind ourselves that road safety matters.