Imlisanen Jamir
As news broke that another person had been killed along the Dimapur-Chümoukedima highway in another vehicle accident on August 9, along with it, also came the increasing sense of danger that is now associated with our newly paved roads and careless drivers on them.
There seems to be no let up on the danger that such drivers pose despite efforts to impose speed limits. Accidents, including minor ones, are a constant occurrence and in most cases, people are let off due to several reasons.
Hit-and-run involves a wide range of incidents. Sometimes it is just bad parking, where a driver bumps an empty parked car causing minor damage but no injury. But even here there are drivers who just then vanish.
But the accidents get progressively worse. There are accidents where someone clips another car in traffic, or even bumps into the back of the car in front, and does a quick getaway or a U-turn. And most drivers are checking for injuries to themselves and their passengers as the first priority rather than trying to get details of who hit them, expecting that in the normal course of events the other driver will stop and rush over to see if everyone is all right.
Even witnesses are more likely to be trying to render help than recording details of the runaway car.
Serious accidents involving more than one vehicle are almost always reported, simply because both vehicles have suffered severe damage and the driver who rammed the other cannot vanish since their vehicle is unlikely to be in a fit state to move immediately.
But when it comes to cyclists and pedestrians this is not the case. The car might have the odd dent, and the driver in their protected metal box is unlikely to be injured. But the pedestrian or cyclist is totally unprotected and will be injured or killed. And there are drivers who just rush off, selfishly hoping no one noticed or at least cannot identify them.
This trend of letting people escape with their misdeeds on the road, even though they are minor, has led to a feeling that it is okay to not maintain the speed limit, to not adhere to road signs and drive carelessly.
But the message needs to be hammered home continually. And when there is any violation of road rules resources need to be devoted to hunting down the offenders and making it clear that just accelerating away is simply not a viable option.
Comments can be sent to imlisanenjamir@gmail.com
