Young biker girl sends a message
Giving your child the keys to their own bikes is not a case of 'putting your child in a death trap'.
EDITOR – I am writing this due to the passion I have for bikes but I am concerned due to all these bike accidents.
I’m no writer but I do feel strongly this topic of discussion.
A few months ago, my very close friend and I were going to meet and after a long while of waiting, I saw a BBM status and photo of him lying next to the road where a car decided to turn without indicating. It was a hit and run which has caused my friend a lot of struggle.
All these bike accidents lately have been extremely concerning, especially going from one in months to two to three a day every day. Here’s the catch – ‘Car turned into bike’, ‘Car didn’t see bike. Coincidence? I think not.
People seem to think that driving a car and bike rely on different rules – no. Road rules stay the same and do not change for anyone. The only difference would be that the form of transportation changes, otherwise all rules of the road stay exactly the same for everyone. A stop street means stop, not go. At a yield you still stop and proceed only if no cars are visible. Most motorists think there’s no need to stop or yield and this for instance causes ‘Car turned into bike’. Giving your child the keys to their own bikes is not a case of ‘putting your child in a death trap’. Nonsense. It’s other drivers on the road that don’t drive responsibly. If you can’t see a bike, which is quite frankly impossible due to the noise it generates and the lights which are on 24/7, then you should not be driving a car or have a license because the car is too big for you, you need glasses, or you don’t know how to look into your mirrors or observe your surroundings. Not to even begin on how to use your indicators.
This is a serious matter and I’m sure everyone would be more careful if everyone drove bikes before they even got into cars. If only you could see things from a biker’s point of view.
I drive a bike everyday of my life and I will not hesitate to say it is extremely shocking how drivers drive. They don’t stop, don’t use indicators, they drive on your rear end, don’t stick to speed limits, cross over red robots, don’t respect yields. Sometimes I wonder how these people got their driver’s licenses. This is not to even mention crossing over a solid stripe in the middle of the road and driving with hazards. Please don’t hesitate to explain.
Due to most people’s irresponsible actions and driving, there are numerous people in hospital and I pray for them to be healed and get better. To those families who have lost loved ones, my condolences. I hope that you people have the heart to stop and think for yourselves and actually start caring about the people in your community, and stop being selfish and stand together to make a difference. Yes I am ‘preaching to the choir’ but I hope I can save lives with this and help people make a difference out there.
We are all human and none of us are more important than the other.
I’m sure your phone won’t run away between point A and B on your journey – it can wait until you are out of your car so there’s no need to be on a cell phone when driving at all. Rather concentrate on the road ahead of you.
I’m just a teenage girl, trying to save lives and make a difference. For any response, feel free to email me at @ moniquedewet4@gmail.com
YOUNG BIKER
