We claim to be Proudly South African, but when many of us climb behind the steering wheel it is all about “I” and “Me” and we don’t mind obstructing or even endangering others on the road? The Arrive Alive website received an email from a road user which we would like to share:
“Hi there,
I like to think of myself as a proud South African, but I must say that what really gets me down and worries me (and something my husband and I discuss quite often) is the way people drive here. And I mean EVERYBODY. I have a very short trip in rush hour traffic in the Cape Town CBD every morning to drop my children at pre-school. During this short time, however, I see, every day and without fail, people driving just plain recklessly. Taxis, minibuses, sports cars, SUV’s, small cars, cars without license plates. If I may name one (and I can never understand who is stupid enough to drive like a moron in a car with personalised plates!?!): I saw an Audi TT with the registration “SUPRLOK ZN” come barreling down Jutland Avenue, criss-crossing across all 3 lanes and eventually cut in near the Lord Charles Hotel when he realised his lane was running out. It is all very disheartening. But so too is the total absence of law enforcement.
Where are the police? They could be raking in a small fortune in speeding fines if they just put a camera or two on Jutland Avenue which goes past the Gardens Centre (I can suggest a whole lot more speeding hot spots in the city, too many unfortunately). People pass me, haring up to the red traffic light at (easily) 90km/h. I’ve come to the conclusion (because I mull this over a lot) that South African drivers are extremely immature. And I think this is why everyone is so very impatient. How often does someone risk a few lives to race by you, only to be found waiting next to you again at the traffic lights? So short-sighted. This is coupled with law enforcement being thin on the ground. So people behave like children, getting away with everything because no-one is watching. Or no-one cares. Live and let die. And eventually this simply becomes the way they drive.
On my school run, I also see countless people texting on their phones at the wheel. This is a BIG worry. Please, I urge you to launch a campaign similar to the US “It Can Wait” one. It is extremely heart rendering:
Don’t sugar-coat it.
I know that techonology is becoming more and more prevalent amongst kids (teens) too and so this texting at the wheel thing is only going to get worse. People need to know that it’s a crime and a stupid thing to do. Again, too immature to just wait. Trouble is, we have a whole nation of reckless drivers (generally speaking and I know there are exceptions, but my jaw drops of someone drives slowly passed our house and actually stops at the 4-way stop! It’s really the exception. A dying breed!) who are now becoming very adept at texting at the wheel. This is simply becoming another bad habit, along with all the others. Good driving and education needs to be taught in schools, so that things like drinkin!
g and driving become frowned upon by a nation, and not regarded as commonplace. People have choices. We need to live with these choices and be prepared for the consequences.
I do try my best to be a good, alert and economical driver. I am very fortunate to have been taught to drive by my father who was an excellent driver (very defensive and also very economical on tyres etc. but also definitely never an old slowcoach on the road) plus I was fortunate to live in the UK for some 7 years where I drove from time to time (also did a little driving in Germany) and experienced what it’s like to drive in the first world, where recklessness simply is not an option and driving is taken seriously. And where an accident is as rare there as someone stopping at a stop street in SA! I found driving in the UK a very different ballgame in that I took it far more seriously than I feel I do here. Probably because if I sped, I would (definitely) lose points on my license, or really have to face the cops. Here it’s all way too casual. I don’t think that’s right. A vehicle is a deadly thing and almost nobody sees it that way. What about the regular police being trained up to double as traffic police? I heard a rumour that this was on the cards. This would increase their presence. If stricter measures were put in place and more revenue was generated from e.g. fines/bail money, more officers could be trained and deployed and more speed cameras installed. Fewer lives wasted.
Anyway, I wish there was something I could do to show people that it’s just not worth it. Take a loved one away from them for a week (like an April Fool’s joke) and maybe they will think twice. It’s almost as if having an accident or dying in an accident or losing someone in an accident is like Father Christmas to everyone. “It’ll never happen to me”, seems to be the attitude. I fear for my own children who will one day be driving on these roads. And as much as I will drum sense into them, there will always be (more by then, no doubt!) someone else out there who doesn’t give a continental and thinks that fast driving makes him king of the road. How about putting some cardboard cut-outs of children in the road to see whether people will slow down and notice? There’s a school nearby where children come spilling out into the road around midday. I’ve seen cars driving past, blatantly speeding, and without batting an eyelid. The mind boggles. I can suggest a number of roads that would benefit from a speed camera. And I think the residential speed limit should be lowered to 50km/h in very built-up areas, especially with our narrow streets.
My email was sparked when reading this article in iAfrica: http://news.iafrica.com/sa/777259.html Although I think the aggression is often bottled up within the vehicle. I am a graphic designer and if I can help at all with any kind of campaign, I will gladly do so. Not trying to sell my services, just trying to help a what I see as a downward spiralling cause.
Thanks for your time!
Tessa”
We would like to urge others as well to share their suggestions and thoughts by emailing them to info@arrivealive.co.za