When one death is too many

By R. Nadeswaran, The Sun

TWO weeks ago, a 20-year-old Singaporean student was killed in what appeared to be a hit-and-run incident in the upmarket area of Belsize Park in London. Tan Ming Wei was an undergraduate medical student at Cambridge and was reported to have been hit while walking along a kerb in the wee hours of the morning. It made the front page of the Evening Standard the same day and the tragic incident was extensively reported in other national newspapers the following day. I can relate to the anguish of her parents and all that can be said is that no one should ever go through such a traumatic experience.

In a country like the United Kingdom where its society brooks no nonsense when it comes to road safety, one death is one too many. In a society where indis-cipline on the roads is never tolerated, there’s little room for discretion when it comes to flouting traffic regulations. Even if you jump the queue, you are treated like a pariah and get dirty stares for being “uncivilised”.

However, the 20 deaths in two crashes in Malacca and Kampar last week are just treated like statistics, adding yet more names to the long list of people who have lost their lives on Malaysian roads. Yes, the Transport Ministry comes out with the same old statement which has become an overused cliché – “We will investigate the cause of the accident” – after which it is business as usual until the next big crash takes place. No one wants to do the “dirty” job of coming down hard on those who choose to break the law. Besides, the mind tells the average Malaysian that there’s no problem because everything can be kau tim. This adds another hurdle in the enforcement of traffic laws.

Five years ago, the Road Safety Depart-ment was set up, but what has been achieved? Other than seeing goodies dished out at toll plazas before the festive rush and the occasional “road safety campaign”, there’s little to show. Yes, the department will produce statistics that fatalities have dropped, but 300 deaths over the recent fes-tive exodus is nothing much to shout about.

Motorcyclists and their pillion riders were described as the biggest “risk group” and instead of wielding the big stick, the dep-artment was more interested in sourcing free helmets to be distributed to them. Why this velvet glove treatment when they make no effort to comply with the laws to protect themselves? The rampaging Mat Rempits who have taken control of some streets in Kuala Lumpur are testament to how the law has lost control of itself. Instead of treating them as law-breakers, some have chosen to pamper and pander to their wishes as if these act-ions are going to make them change their notorious lifestyles. In London, crossing the limit at a 20mph (32kph) zone in residential areas draws a compound fine of £95 (RM475) and no one gives amnesty or special discounts for early birds or latecomers in the Malaysian context.

The emphasis in Malaysia has been on speed. It’s been shown time and again that speed is NOT the greatest contributor to road deaths. Poor road design, insufficient lighting or signage, poor road surfaces, badly placed road signs and billboards – and the list goes on. The authorities keep harping on speed limits and it becomes monotonous. Doesn’t anyone care about the potholes as a result of which so many have died? When asked, the answer is always expectable: “Roads come under local councils and we have no control over them.”

We must restore sanity on our roads. Don’t even think of “bringing in new laws to make it tougher”. We have the laws, but they must be enforced with zealous discipline.

Andrew Evans, transport professor at the Imperial College in London, says that of all everyday activities carried out by people, transport carries the greatest risk per unit time of accidental death or injury. Need more be said? Why then are we not stopping our cars becoming mangled coffins and our roads being the graveyards they have turned out to be?

On Saturday, R. Nadeswaran marked the sixth anniversary of the loss of his daughter in a car crash with a vow to campaign to help end the carnage on our roads. Comments: [email protected]