Stay alive – don’t drink, drive

Editorial

WITH the long weekend coming up, this maybe the right time to make a statement on the dangers of drunk and careless driving.
Whether we are in the cities, towns or villages, as long as you are near a road and use it frequently, as many in modern Papua New Guinea are, you will have no doubt witnessed firsthand or seen the destruction, carnage and despair traffic 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 arterial roads that link our towns and districts.
Around this time, most gatherings, be it family, friends or work-related will see alcohol being shared.
Nothing is wrong with that, but it seems Papua New Guineans may not be good at socialising because they end up arguing and fighting with injuries inflicted or deaths reported.
It is more about the socialising and being around people who also want to have a good time even if they are drinking.
Many people drink alcohol to socialise and celebrate, or they enjoy a drink with dinner.
A good number of people drink in moderation or do not drink, however, many still struggle with forms of problem drinking, including heavy drinking, binge drinking and alcohol use disorder.
This brings us to the scenario that is becoming too common in our communities with consumption of alcohol, those who have consumed alcohol have been more argumentative, abusive or violent.
Alcohol affects people in different ways but for many youths and even some grown man, it seems they lose all forms of common sense and become a nuisance.
Whatever it is, alcohol is never an excuse for bad behaviour.
There are children living in PNG with parents who misuse alcohol.
The problems are widespread.
A lot still needs to be done to educate the population on sensible drinking.
It is a time bomb.
Once alcohol is in people’s system, fights end up breaking out and they usually end up being over nothing from a sober persons’ perspective, but to a drunk person, it is a huge deal.
Somebody could be dancing and step on someone else’s toe and all hell breaks loose.
Don’t get us wrong, everybody loves a good party, but some of us don’t have to drink to enjoy it.
Back to our road concern, 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 have the savvy of simple traffic rules, which makes one wonder how on earth they were given driving licenses.
Observing road safety rules by using indicators, speed limits, use of left lanes, when to overtake, where to stop on road sides and respecting traffic lights can minimise traffic accidents.
It’s either the driver is ignorant of what they already know or the license was obtained illegally, hence, they totally have no idea of what road safety is.
How does one expect a drunk driver to practice that?
These drivers are dangerous and during the festive season, they are bound to cause accidents with the excitement of a few drinks or in the company of family and friends.