Being a professional Civil Engineer, my core responsibility lies with investigating our road networks at locations deemed hazardous due to the high frequency of road incidents, with priority given to roads that have the highest fatalities. It became clear very early in my career that human input (not error) is the primary cause for the high incident rate.
I am now in my mid-40s and am so very thankful for the opportunity to have come this far in life.
It may sound a bit weird saying this at mid-life, yet I feel that it has to be said, as one of my lessons learnt is to help in the improvement of – or even saving of – someone’s life.
It is noted with concern that a large number of young people are dying on our roads – their lives ended before reaching 50% of mine. I was a new driver in the 90s and I consider myself lucky because I also had a few road incidents which were ALL my fault for reasons I rather withhold.
The fear of being in that situation at that age, in sometimes unknown surroundings, gives you a wake-up, but unfortunately not for long. We are all indestructible in our 20s and so it happens again.
Most of us come out alive for various reasons. To those who feel that you are the most brilliant “transporter” on the road, ask yourself – so what happens when two or more headstrong drivers decide to cover the same stretch of road – mixing with families carrying little babies, newlyweds, new graduates or the sickly, etc? We all know the possible outcomes of two vehicles occupying the same piece of road at the same time.
My lesson learnt: Saving 30 seconds on the road is never worth more than having one more second with your loved ones.
By Ashok Harridaw.