The true cause of road accidents

TIMES INT'L

Dear Editor,
How can someone estab¬lish that a sleeping driver was the cause of the accident where a truck struck a school teenager in Berbice? Eyewitnesses are claiming that the truck was speeding and this seems to contradict the suggestion that the driv¬er was actually asleep. More so, it was just before dark in the afternoon. The fact that an errant truck driver killed a child, and then ran off is enough to act swiftly and se¬verely.
In Barbados, accidents are not as frequent as they are here, but the authori¬ties are already taking pre-emptive action. The country is now embarking on a pro¬gramme that will make it compulsory for driving in¬structors to take a revised driving instructor code by which to operate. This is in an effort to ensure that they deliver a high standard of teaching for learner drivers.
The question is, are driv¬ing instructors in Guyana qualified to teach learners to drive? And if so, by what standard? Guyana will do well to put some thought into this area. Many poten¬tial drivers do not take any form of driving lessons – not even the theory. Yet all of a sudden they are driving with a full permit for cars, vans and minibuses.
Finally, considering the road culture in Guyana, the abundance of many in¬competent and immature drivers, and the many bad stretches of road, it stands to reason that bikers of all types should wear helmets. I know that, in Canada, where the driving culture makes for an almost accident free country, that the use of hel¬mets is a must. Why are we waiting?
Yours truly,
Andrew Monike

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