XN000022-1992-03-29 — Page 4

3

SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 1992

HUMAN CASUALTIES ON ROADS ON RISE

-

HUMAN

LIVES WERE IN MURDERS

NEARLY TWO-AND-A-HALF TIMES THE NUMBER OF LOST ON THE ROADS THAN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE - 92 KILLED LAST YEAR, BUT IT OSTENSIBLY HAS FAILED TO MAKE A DENT IN THE MINDS OF THE PUBLIC.

THE SAME STARK TRAGEDY OF DEATH WAS REPEATED ON OUR ROADS AGAIN 59 TIMES IN THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, UP FROM 43 IN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR, A POLICE SPOKESMAN SAID.

LAST YEAR, EACH OF THE 315 HUMAN BEINGS WHO PERISHED ON THE ROADS MERELY BECAME PART OF THE DRY TRAFFIC FATALITY STATISTICS THAT WERE QUOTED BY THE MASS MEDIA, OFTEN INCONSCIPICUOUSLY.

IT

HARD TO

UNDERSTANDABLY, THE PUBLIC SOMETIMES FINDS ASSOCIATE THE STATISTICS WITH THE LOSS OF 315 FUTURES, 315 EDUCATIONS, 315 DREAMS AND 315 BEREAVED FAMILIES GRIEVING FOR THEIR BELOVED ONES.

"SAD TO

SAY, BUT TRUE, VERY FEW OF THESE FATAL TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS, 208 OR 66 PERCENT OF THEM INVOLVED PEDESTRIANS, WAS "UNAVOIDABLE". ALMOST ALL WERE CAUSED BY HUMAN FAILINGS OR CARELESSNESS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

WHAT APPEARED TO HAVE ESCAPED THE PUBLIC MINDS ARE THE ENORMOUS SOCIAL COSTS TO THE COMMUNITY. EACH OF THESE ACCIDENTS TOOK UP PRECIOUS MEDICAL AND RELATED RESOURCES, IN ADDITION TO THE MANY POLICE HOURS DEVOTED TO THESE ACCIDENTS BY TEAMS OF INVESTIGATORS, AT THE EXPENSES OF OTHER POLICE DUTIES.

"NEVERTHELESS, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THESE EFFORTS MAY HAVE BEEN ALL WASTED. ALL THE INVESTMENT BY SOCIETY IN RESPECT OF EDUCATION, TRAINING AND SOCIAL CARE FOR THE VICTIM ARE LOST, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

·

PEDESTRIANS ARE THE LEAST PROTECTED CLASS OF ROAD USERS AND BY FAR THE MOST VULNERABLE TO INJURY OR DEATH IN COLLISION WITH ANY VEHICLE, HE NOTED.

"MOTORISTS MUST BE CONSTANTLY AWARE OF THE HIGH DUTY OF CARE PLACED ON THEM, EVEN IF PEDESTRIANS APPEAR TO ACT IRRATIONALLY THEY DESERVE THE SAME COURTESY AND CONSIDERATION AS YOU EXPECT FOR YOURSELF.

FOR THOSE ON FOOT, THE SPOKESMAN APPEALED TO THEM TO SPARE A THOUGHT BOTH FOR THE DRIVER AND FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY BY LOOKING ALL AROUND BEFORE YOU STEP FROM THE SAFETY OF THE PAVEMENT.

"DON'T SPEND THE REST OF YOUR LIFE DASHING UNDER THE WHEELS OF A CAR, HE ADDED.

+

"THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT MANY FATAL ACCIDENTS AND THE SWATHE OF MISERY MOWING THROUGH EVERY SECTOR OF THE COMMUNITY COULD BE AVOIDED IF ALL ROAD USERS ACTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ROAD USERS CODE, HE SAID.

TI

/4