The Easter weekend is upon us and as per usual, given the return to near normalcy, traffic volumes on interprovincial and national routes are set to spike. It is within reason to expect this to be the busiest Easter since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic nearly three years ago.
But many would be forgiven for thinking nothing out of the ordinary is about to unfold, given the near lackadaisical approach this time around to the road safety campaign. It may well be that the Covid-19 lockdown has latered authorities’ approach to such campaigns. Otherwise road safety drums would be beaten over and over again to drum in the message that road users take care on their travels.
A counter-argument may also be made that maybe the authorities saw the need to change strategies since it appears the campaigns as we have come used to over the years were in the main not really effective.
The usual routine would be that effort, time and money would be spend on campaigns, but when all was said and done at the end of holiday season there would unfortunately be a count of body bags. It has become a ritual of sorts that the transport minister calls a media briefing to inform the nation of the number of deaths recorded on our roads post Christmas and Easter breaks.
The numbers would usually be frighteningly high, so much so that right-thinking people would wonder why there was no change of strategy. But nothing in the afore-lamented non-visibility of a safety drive suggests powers that be have found the magic wand that would render our roads safe.
But road safety is not the sole responsibility of those in government while we ordinary users go merrily on our murderous behaviour on the road. Abiding by the rules of the road is a responsibility every motorist, cyclist, motorcyclist, pedestrian and any shape of user imaginable should bear, of course in varying degrees.
That said, we wish you safe travels on the roads and pray that the figures we return after these holiday breaks (Freedom Day also lends itself to a long weekend) will not make for horrific reading.
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