«Sometimes it is better to be late, than be “the late”»

Last Friday, I witnessed a hit and run at the Pont Fer roundabout, around 19:00. It was a clear night, with the usual flow of traffic and it all happened in ten seconds, maybe a little bit more. Thankfully, the lady on the scooter was wearing a helmet, and protective gear, and got away with minor bruises and scratched moped. She was however very shaken. The white van, which was in the wrong lane, drove away. Having helped the lady to get back on her feet and off the road led me to the following reflexion. I am not a technical expert, although I am told I look like one, but it might be a good idea to start review and audit the quality of our road asphalt, mainly the main roads and motorways. The actual ones look very distressed, with dips and potholes, and a low absorption rate. The road markings and road signs are also sometimes confusing and not very visible. Road safety issues are becoming a daily concern, to a point of becoming banalized. Mandela rightly said that “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” and a review of driving schools might also assist in improving the quality of driving, for instance further training on how to drive on the motorway and lane changing, negotiating roundabouts, night driving and driving in adverse weather conditions. Hazard perception training could also be a useful tool to prepare drivers to anticipate and deal with dangerous circumstances, and reduce the state of panic experienced in real life situations. Road safety campaigns are here as reminders of what matters most: you. Sometimes it is better to be late, than be “the late”. Take the road, don’t let the road take you.

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