Just having come through a few days of rain, I am thankful to have survived it in one piece.
Durbanites have this amazing ability to disengage the brain gear when water falls from the sky.
The complete disarray on the roads makes me think of what we could expect just after an apocalypse announcement…
I always feel safer in the bakkie due to the perceived “strength” and “safety” you get from a bigger vehicle, however as we all know, size does not always count and little things can be safer and the end result is very similar.
Safety information is available for all makes and models, and most of us choose our cars with safety in mind and, in a high-crime country, reliability is literally a safety concern.
However, we are only as safe as the next vehicle in front or behind us, or on the opposite side of the road.
Luckily for us, our roads are almost completely lawless, rules are flouted, roadworthy certificates and driver’s licenses bought and vehicles use our roads that are not even worth scrapping they are so unsafe.
We carefully select a Volvo or similar car based on safety, and then share the road with cars from the 80s held together with duct tape and body-filler.
“I know what most will say, we can’t change that so stop whining and get on with it.
What we need to start asking ourselves is what we can do about it? How many accidents were caused by worn tyres?
Aquaplaning happens very easily with good tyres, never mind five-year-old tyres that look like racing slicks – and not the good ones!
I think we really, really need annual road worthy tests done with our license fees.
I know it will be a hassle, and I am sure that corruption may creep in and infect it with its usual evil malice, but we need to start somewhere.
There is also the financial side to this issue… as our woeful economy teeters on the rim of despair, things like new break discs or pads or new tyres are often left for “next month” which is Durban for “just now” or “now now”.
So, with corruption and economics against it, it may not be the best suggestion, but what is?
I cannot help but think it is time to do something.
The roads would be slightly safer, the poorly maintained and polluting cars would be fewer and we may avoid a few accidents here and there.
We all know our government loves to tax us to breaking point and then some more, well this could also give them an opportunity to embezzle a few more of our Rands and turn them into holidays and fancy outfits!
Hopefully the roads would be a little safer at our expense and their enjoyment!
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