The Road Ahead.....Our Behaviour On The Roads.

Can you recall days gone by where cars were without air-conditioners? Buses too and bus stops were usually quite a long walk away and very few buses ply the same routes and destinations. Those were days where there weren't too many cars on the road and qre of much smaller engine capacities. People with driving licences were having their licences when they were much older and most could not afford cars. Driving one would mean borrowing a family, a friend's or using the company's car. People do not carry pagers let alone mobile phones meaning less distraction when they were driving and by the time they were able to drive they are much older and more experienced. There were not many highways and most roads have many traffic lights meaning less opportunities for speeding. Today, most have their licences very young and could be driving their parents big cars with bigger engine capacity or were bought powerful ones by parents for their own use.

Driving Habits

Our high way code and driving instructors do not emphasise enough on road safety, driving etiquettes and courtesy. Maybe they should not be blamed as it could just be Singaporeans' poor attitude per se. I still see plenty of parents driving without belting their children, not only that, they even allowed them to climb up and down, front and back and some allowed them to stand on the front seat. An equally shocking fact is that I see many at a traffic junction not stopping when the light is red or they might stopped for a while and seeing no oncoming vehicles just proceeded to drive. They do not signal, are fond of sudden lane switching. Those who drives in carparks do not keep their vehicles within their own lane and when turning head on into your lane refuse to budge expecting you to reverse for them. There are even worse ones who drives against the flow of traffic in carparks and when they came into your path would stare at you as if you were wrong and without the smallest hint of shame or remorse, not even a sense of wrong. This is why our roads are no longer as safe and we should not be quick to point to the police for enforcement. The police have more important things to do. Instead we should look to self-examination, self-discipline. Family members and friends should point out to such drivers when they were wrong. We are living in a society where frequently people might say there is no right or wrong. How can it be? What which is not right is wrong. A stranger who tells you not to talk on your mobile phone at a cinema might be unwittingly bashed up. But a family or friend telling the same may be a better option and in the long run more effective.

Often, you would see vehicles occupying one side of the road at a carpark waiting for someone during the morning peak hour and causing a jam even when they could have just stayed in the carpark lot and when others honk at them they would pretend that they didn't see you or heard anything. Ditto on the roads. Funnilly enough, drivers who complained and cursed at these inconsiderate ones would do the same when they saw fit and when honked at would respond by saying "What's your problem". Isn't it true we are all guilty of being self-centred and self-righteous? Quite often, you'll also find that traffic was slow but as you negotiated further you found no jam ahead but instead some drivers just changing lanes indiscriminately. How foolish of such behaviour and no wonder ERP gantries are everywhere.

Frequently, once the traffice lights turned red, guys would start picking their nose after stopping. Some would even whip out a couple of coins and start pulling their whiskers on the chin. The female version involve turning the rear view mirror into a vanity mirror and they would start brushing their hair, applying lipstick or make up. At crossroad junctions, watch out for some drivers who make a dash across the junction even when the greenlight is in your favour and when you look back at your rear mirror afterwards, there were no other vehicles behind you. So why do such morons do that? Because they do not see further than the vehicle right in front which is you and then make a poor judgement call? As these maronic behaviours continue, I slowed down when approcahing cross junctions.

Is this unique Singapore?

Cyclists

I have noticed a big increase in bicycle traffic and some with children in toll. There was not a single day where I have not encountered bicycles riding across pedestrian crossings without stopping not realising that when they are riding a bicycle they are no longer pedestrians. With this mistaken notion, it is easy for cyclists to ignore dangers especially at zebra crossings. Motorists may not notice and see cyclists who are riding on pavements and for them to suddenly zip across zebra crossings or pedestrian crossings at junctions without stopping and in fact some increase their speed when approaching crossings are putting themselves in grave danger. Children who follow their parents will learn the wrong values. There was once a woman cyclist in her 40-50 who tried cutting across a zebra crossing suddenly from the pavement that I didn't notice forcing me to jam my brakes. She got a fright and jammed her brakes too. Instead of apologising, she muttered something that doesn't seemed pleasant under her breath.

Pedestrians

Then I would see people walking along or crossing the road without holding the childrens' hands. No matter how clever and intelligent a child is, they may suddenly dash across the road, drop something and instinctively try to retrieve them, etc. that can be dangerous. Then there are some who are so engrossed in their mobile phone conversation that they take no notice when crossing. Yet others would take their own sweet time in crossing talking to each other like taking a stroll at the park. There are some who do not even look when crossing away from traffic lights and when you are so close and you honk at them, instead of stopping they stop to look and then continue to cross or completely ignoring you by not even looking at you at all. There is also a need to watch out for the elderly due to their mobility, sight and judgement plus pedestrians who cross the road half-way and standing on the line as motorists blocked by a taller vehicle in front of them may not see you.

All these are totally appalling by not taking personal responsibility.

Motorcyclists

Motorcylists continue to zip around or squeezing between vehicles when they should treat their motorcycles like a car when riding on the roads. Do watch out for them as they would frequently turn from a straight lane instead of queuing at the turning lane usually without signalling. Some could be seen turnign thier heads talking to thier pillion.

Heavy Vehicles and Lorries

When they whizzed past you, it is speeding and they are not adhering to their speed limit. They can be a real hazard due to their lighter rear or thier height.

So How?

Having said all these, it is still a difficult task to educate all road users as people would usually think that bad things only happen to other people, are stressed by the hustle and bustle of life or take things for granted numbed by the daily grind. Even if you are right and they are wrong, we have no alternative but to ensure that bigger and stronger give way to the smaller and weaker as in an accident even a minor collision, nobody wins.

If you see your family members, relatives or friends doing things wrong, do them a favour by pointing out to them and you lead by example. The greatest leadership is leadership by example. Let's create a consciousness.

To change the world change yourself.