Keeping our roads safe is a shared responsibility

Roads and highways are strips of land that usually serve at the heart of both human beings and animals. They provide routes for travel by automobiles and other machines. Roads also work as arteries of the economic, social and cultural health of every society by transporting people and materials. Therefore, road transport has much significance against all other modes as it is commonly used, convenient and, of course, the cheapest means of transport. History of this mode of transport originates from ancient Mesopotamia where the first roads were constructed, in about 4000 BCE. These roads were meant to provide a more solid surface for wheeled vehicles, but they were actually used by everyone on the move: wheeled vehicles, people on foot and, for most of human history, in many parts of the world, people riding horses and donkeys were also using them. This is an indication that roads were not meant for specific use or people. As road travel became more complex, rules of the road were developed to control the location and direction of vehicles. Signals and signs to control the flow of traffic were also introduced. However, not everyone observed these rules or obeyed the signals and signs. When people failed to cooperate in this manner, it became evident that all road users were at risk. It was then that penalty became a solution to avert road offenders. Many countries made legislation creating a unit in the police force to maintain law and order in this public utility. Other measures came in like licensing and introduction of speed bumps. Today, a variety of vehicles share modern-day roads, depending on where you live. In most of the cities there are all forms of automobiles; buses, trucks, horse- or bullock-drawn carts, motorcycles and bicycles all using the same roads. And, of course, there are pedestrians. All the vehicles move at different speeds, unless they are stuck in a traffic jam, which is not unusual in our cities, including Kigali. Each driver sees the road and the surrounding vehicles from their own angle and perspective. And most of the time each vehicle is heading to its unique destination apart from being on the road. The combination of these factors makes traveling on modern roads a serious challenge. The behaviour of drivers, passengers, and pedestrians – whether walking along the road, riding a bicycle or motorcycle, or riding in or driving a car – affects safety. It is known that a more experienced driver or rider is a safer driver or rider. The exception comes through careless behavior – for example, by abusing alcohol or other such substances that can impair one’s judgment before taking charge of a vehicle or even going for a walk along a busy road which breaches safety. Other road safety challenges are attributed to shortcomings in road and traffic engineering, old and non-standard codes of traffic control devices, poor driver training and assessment, outdated legislations and a poor enforcement system. The history of the automobile is a good way to start looking at road safety. As vehicles grow bigger, faster, and more powerful, serious safety precautions are needed by drivers, passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists – all of whom contribute to staying safe on the road. As it is evident, while personal cars dominate our roads, public transport is still critical for getting the workforce to and from work in order to avoid disruption to economic activity. There is no doubt that the latter increases as the population of the workforce also does increase; as a result, our roads also get busier by the day. In Rwanda, smooth tarmac roads lead to everywhere you would wish to get to. In fact, even the shortest distances ever imagined are now tarmacked or getting to that. Vehicles are moving faster as motorcycles, pedestrians and others share this precious infrastructure. At this level, it means that any small mistake by any road user could pose a serious danger to the rest. Just to mention, our motorists are found on the awkward side of the statistics. Especially in public transport which of late has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Accidents of any form, fatal or minor, are a serious drawback in any perspective and must be prevented by all means. Being on the wheel while carrying many lives is not something these fellows should take for granted. There is a dire need to understand what a second of carelessness or negligence can cause while on the road. People lose lives, others become incapacitated, property get destroyed and our investments suffer... Everyone has a role to play here lest we continue registering high number of fatalities arising from what could have been prevented if all of us played our part. oscar_kim2000@yahoo.co.uk

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Keeping our roads safe is a shared responsibility