AS THE 5th UN Global Road Safety Week draws to a close, Mzansi be asking themselves how many of us actually did #SpeakUp for road safety?
That was the theme of this year’s road safety week. The week is aimed at reducing millions of deaths that occur on the roads worldwide.
According to the managing director of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, while many of us expect change to be brought about by government, we need to ask ourselves what role we play in reducing fatalities?
“When we drive with friends, family or colleagues who use their phones while driving, do we #SpeakUp and ask them to put their phones down?
“If our driver has a few drinks before we set off home, do we #SpeakUp and insist on driving or find another way home?
Importantly, do we #SpeakUp to ourselves? When we are driving and we feel ourselves drifting off because we did not sleep the night before, do we stop and take a break?” asked Herbert.
He said real change comes from all road users.“While it is a well-known fact that South Africa has one of the highest road fatality rates, do we also accept that many of us shift the blame to others without accepting our own role?”
“Yet there is only so much that we can achieve from greater law enforcement or businesses that send drivers for training, if we are the ones posing the risk.”
He said it is about time for everyone to change their driving habits.
“We need to #SpeakUp and make dangerous driving habits as taboo as they are in first world countries,” said Herbert.
