Let’s end carnage on our roads

 A HORRIFIC road accident last weekend in Waigani, NCD, which claimed the life of an unsuspecting teenager, further highlights the urgent need to clamp down on drink driving in the nation’s capital.

The vehicle was allegedly travelling at high speed when it ran off the road, hit the young bystander and slammed into a tree with the teenager caught in between.

So severe was the impact that the boy’s body was crushed and bits of his flesh were stuck to the tree trunk.

A young life was snuffed out within seconds because a driver, who is alleged to have been consuming liquor the previous night, recklessly decided to go for a burn along one of the city’s main thoroughfares.

The dire consequences of driving under the influence of liquor were probably the least of the driver’s concerns as the vehicle sped along the road.

How could someone, under the influence of liquor, possibly imagine that he or she could lose control of their vehicle and cause a fatal accident?

But that’s the way drunk drivers behave; some see themselves as Formula 1 racing drivers while others imagine they are jet fighter pilots or even the Man of Steel.

The Waigani tragedy is the latest in a string of road accidents that have claimed innocent lives in the nation’s capital.

Not so long ago, an elderly school teacher was sma-shed to death along Waigani Drive by a vehicle driven by a woman who was hurrying home after an all-night party.

Unfortunately, these tragedies do not seem to be driving home the message that drunk drivers are a deadly menace.

Like common criminals, they have no respect for the laws of this country and the rights of other citizens to coexist in a peaceful and orderly environment.

In fact, drunk drivers have transformed our city roads and streets into highly dangerous places to travel and live in. 

When will the relevant government authorities and agencies, such as the police and the motor traffic registries, wake up and take effective measures to rid our roads and streets of drunk drivers?

We acknowledge that there are more frequent road blocks in recent times in the capital city but they are often happening at the wrong times – most often during heavy traffic hours in the mornings or afternoons which are more of an inconvenience than helping with ridding the city of rogue drivers.

Road blocks should really be set up during the hours when drunk drivers and criminals like to “fly” around the city at  breakneck speeds and posing threats to innocent people.

It is time for the Government to take firm measures to make our city roads and streets safe again. 

While traffic accidents cannot be avoided, the disasters that are caused by drink driving can be prevented if the culprits are effectively penalised for breaching traffic and liquor laws.

As a first step, breathalyser testing must be introduced and properly policed. 

This method has been proven globally to be an effective way of stopping people from driving under the influence of liquor and illicit drugs.

A breathalyser is a device used to determine blood alcohol concentration by measuring the amount of alcohol in a breath sample.

The policing aspect of breathalyser testing is the biggest challenge for Papua New Guinea where motor traffic infringements rarely draw the ire of the police and relevant authorities.

The increase in the number of unroadworthy vehicles and unlicensed drivers in cities such as Port Moresby and Lae has been blamed on the lax attitude of these authorities and agencies to effectively police traffic laws and regulations. 

For example, the operators of public motor vehicles (PMVs) in Port Moresby have been allowed to dictate their own fares and routes without intervention by the relevant government authorities.

It has become a norm for these PMV operators and drivers to commit traffic infringements on a regular basis and avoid being penalised by offering bribes to government officials.

The introduction of breathalyser testing and harsher penalties for drink driving in PNG may be a futile exercise unless the Government overhauls the system by removing corrupt and inefficient public servants who are tasked to police these measures.

Only then can law-abiding citizens breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that their city roads and streets are safe from marauding drunk and reckless drivers.