Drive safely: It’s the season to be merry

WITH another public holiday a week away, this may be the right time to make a statement on the dangers of drink and careless driving.
Whether you are in the city, town or village, if you live near a frequently-used road, you will have no doubt witnessed an accident or seen the destruction, carnage and despair accidents and car crashes have cost.
Car wrecks are becoming a common sight in busy metropolitan areas such as Port Moresby and Lae and on the main highways and roads that link our towns and districts.
And concerns on the illegal issuing of driver’s licence and how that is affecting road safety has surfaced again.
NCD traffic director Joseph Joe commented that one can know how to drive but if they fail to observe road safety rules
then something is obviously not right.
Not all drivers today understand simple traffic rules and that makes one wonder how on earth they were given a driver’s licence.
Observing road safety rules such as the proper use of indicators, observing speed limits, use of the left lane, knowing when to overtake and where to stop on roadsides and respecting traffic lights can minimise the risk of a traffic accident.
It’s either the driver is ignorant or the driver has obtained his or her licence illegally without having any idea of road safety.
These drivers are dangerous, and during the festive season, they are bound to cause accidents.
Almost every day you will come across some sort of traffic accident.
When behind the wheel, the driver’s job is driving. It is his or her job to protect himself or herself, the passengers, the vehicle and people and property.
It seems that the practice of defensive driving is
lacking in drivers in Papua New Guinea.
Defensive driving is driving to save lives, time and money despite the conditions around you and the actions
of other.
Now, just imagine if all Papua New Guinean drivers were certified defensive drivers.
There would be fewer road accidents as everyone would know what to do and what not to do.
And this is something the Road Transport Authority must push to ensure that all drivers sit a defensive driving test as well as the general test before being issued a driver’s licence.
One must always remember that a defensive driver will never put himself or herself or anyone else in any kind of danger.
A good defensive driver practises correct legal driving techniques at all times.
Defensive driving is essentially driving in a manner that utilises safe driving strategies to enable motorists to address and identify hazards in a predictable manner.
Defensive-driving training must be mandatory for all drivers to undertake before they are allowed to have a licence.
These strategies go well beyond instructions on basic traffic laws and procedures.
The main causes of accidents that stand out throughout the years, among others, include speeding, loss of control, not paying attention and fatigue, overloading and drink driving.
If the authorities are concerned about the increase in traffic accidents relating to alcohol, then it’s time to impose a zero-tolerance law on drink-driving and for law-breakers to be slapped with harsh penalties.