Somehow the authorities and the experts just do not seem to be able to get a handle on it. Why?
It is true that alcohol kills, as does speed and cell-phones - although our yuppie ladies and men do not want to hear this. Stats are rare but I'm convinced that the use of cell phones while driving kills as many people as the other two.
I honestly believe that the biggest killer of all is our national lack of good old fashioned manners and tolerance.
We become Kamikaze pilots when behind the wheel and believe when buying a car that we also buy sole right to the roads. Everyone must get out of our way or else. We give way to no-one and traffic signs and signals are only there for others.
I travelled in England last year from the midlands to Lands End and back and saw only one accident and that was not a fatal one. We travelled across Switzerland, parts of Germany and Austria and didn't see any accidents at all. Maybe a coincidance, but what we did find was that in the UK and in the European countries just mentioned, the road manners were superb. It didn't matter if the driver was behind the wheel of a Bentley, a Maserati or a Smart car, their manners were impeccable, and particularly where pedestrians were concerned. Even the bus drivers were courteous and gave way. How unlike here, where it seems their only purpose in life is to run you off the road or run you down.The public are little different.
Are we a nation of boorish pigs?
I am now convinced that we will never stem the death toll on our roads till our people come to embrace good manners and tolerance. With good manners all the rest will fall into place; but then Good manners aren't COOL! Is being dead?
What will the death toll be by the beggining of January in spite of the police no-tolerance edict?
I dread to guess.
