培养公路安全意识

培养公路安全意识Inrecentweeksaspateoffatalroadaccidents,someinvolvingschoolchildrenatpedestriancrossings,hasstirredthenation'sconscienceanddrawnattentiontotheurgentneedtoensurethatourroadsaresafeforeveryone.Apartfromdeathsfromillnesses,oneofthebiggestthreatstoone'slifeinhighlymotorisedSingaporeistobekilledinatrafficaccident.Aremostaccidentspreventable?Certainlyyes,ifallroadusers,betheymotorists,motorcyclists,cyclists,taxidrivers,heavyvehicledriversandpedestrians,diligentlypractiseroadsafetyrulesthataredesignedfortheirprotection.Inreality,however,theserulesarehonouredmorebytheirbreachthancompliance.Soavehicleinirresponsiblehandscanbeamostlethalweapon.TaketheaverageSingaporeandriverasanexample.Ausuallyrationalpersoncanbetransformedsuddenlyintoademonbehindadrivingwheel.Oncehisimpatienceandselfishnessgetsthebetterofhim,hebecomesrecklesslyindifferenttothetrafficrulesandsafetyofothersjusttogethisownway.Ourtaxiandheavyvehicledriversalsodrivelikemaniacsontheroads,whileourmotorcyclistsandcyclists,seeminglyunawareoftheirparticularvulnerability,habituallyweaveinandoutoftrafficdangerously,wheneveritsuitsthem.Thepedestrian,too,knowinglyjaywalksinthefaceoffast-movingtraffic.Tragically,manypaidwiththeirpreciouslivesinvain.WhyaretheseinconsiderateroadbehaviourssocommoninSingapore,whenitscitizensareregularlyheldupbyothersaslaw-abiding?DotheynotrealisetheirfoolhardinessandthattheyaretarnishingtheRepublic'simage?Firstandforemost,roadsafetyconsciousnessisgenerallynotfirmlyingrainedinSingaporeans.Manywouldfloutthelawsiftheythinktheycandosowithimpunity.Theyoftensucceedbecausepolicemencannotbeeverywhere.UnlikeinJapanandthemoreadvancedWesterncountries,thereisamarkedabsenceofstrongpeerpressureheretodetertheseanti-socialbehaviours.OneoftheworstcharactertraitsofSingaporeansisthatatrafficviolatorwouldoftenreactaggressivelyifheistoldofhismisdoings,and,notinfrequently,injuriesordeathshadresultedinconsequenceofroadrages.Itis,therefore,notsurprisingthatuncivilisedroadconductsarepervasiveasmostaggrievedpartieswouldrathertoleratetheseculpritsthanassertingtheirrightswithunpredictableconsequences.ManyconcernedSingaporeanshaverepeatedlyurgedthatremedialactionsbetakentoimprovethetrafficsituation.Someoftheirusefulsuggestionshavebeenactivelydebatedinnewspapercolumnsbutforgottenafterawhile.Inmyview,Governmentandthepublicmustintensifytheireffortstotacklethispressingproblemasajointnationalundertakinginordertopreventmoremayhemonourroads.Thefollowingproposalsareputforthinthehopethattheywouldgeneratemorepublicdiscussion:Firstly,acomprehensivereviewofourtrafficandrelatedlawsbecarriedouttoensurethattheykeepabreastwithchangingcircumstances.Whereappropriate,substantiallyheavierfinesandenhancedpunishmentsbeinflictedonthosewhocommitseriousoffences.ItistruebutlamentablethatSingaporeansgenerallyrespondwelltostricterapplicationofthelaws.Thecourts'successindealingwithroadragecasescomestomind.Secondly,illegalparkingandtrafficobstructionoccurdailyalloverSingapore,particularlynearschools,markets,religiousinstitutions,foodcentres,inhousingestatesandevenonbusyroads,oftenleadingtotrafficchaos,frayedtempersandevenaccidentswithinjuriesordeaths.It'stimewestoppedtheseirresponsibleacts,especiallywhenparkinglotsarereadilyavailableinthevicinity.Thirdly,aroadsafetyculturemustbenurturedandtakerootshere.Animaginativeroadsafetycampaign,withsustainedsupportofemployers,employees,tradeunions,mediaandothers,beheldatregularintervalswitheffectivefollow-upactionsaimedatthewholecommunity.IfSingaporeanscanrepeattheadmirableteamspiritduringtheSARSoutbreak,ourroadsdefinitelywillbesafer.Lastly,ourschoolsandparentscanandshouldplayapivotalroleintransmittingroadsafetyandcivicconsciousnessasawayoflifetotheyoungundertheircharge.Theirinfluenceinthisregardcannotbeoveremphasised.Touseatime-honouredcliche,let'stogethermakeroadsafetytheresponsibilityofeveryoneinSingapore!过去几个星期，发生了多起致命公路意外，不幸身亡的包括在人行道上过马路的学生。国人对此深切关注，也希望情况尽快改善，保护公路使用者的安全。除了患病身亡，新加坡交通繁忙，在公路意外中丧命是对我们生命的一大威胁。是不是大多数的公路意外都是可以避免的？答案是肯定的。不过，所有公路使用者，包括驾车者、电单车和脚踏车骑士、德士司机、及驾驶重型车辆者等，都必须遵守为了保护他们而制定的公路安全条例。事实是，人们往往对这些条例视若无睹。在一个不负责任的人手中，一辆车可以变成一件杀人凶器。新加坡的驾车者一般上是相当理智的。不过，在失去耐心和自私心里作祟下，一些司机可能突然完全失控而变得鲁莽，只顾自己的方便，无视交通规则和他人的安全。在公路上横冲直撞的德士司机和重型车辆驾驶者也不乏其人，却偏偏有一些电单车和脚踏车骑士，似乎不在乎他们比其他驾车者更容易受伤，习惯性地在繁忙的交通里危险地穿梭。一些行人也明知故犯地乱穿越马路，最终不幸成为轮下亡魂。新加坡人时常被外人视为奉公守法的好榜样，那为什么还会有这么多人违反交通条例？他们难道不知道自己的行为不但愚蠢，也会损害新加坡的形象？一个基本的问题是，国人并没有根深蒂固的公路安全意识。只要有机可乘，他们便不把条例当一回事。因为交警不可能无所不在，他们往往成功地避免受到惩罚。我们的情况和日本及西方先进国家不同，我们缺乏有效的群体压力，阻吓人们做出反社会行为。在新加坡，违法的驾车者，如果受到旁观者的批评，通常会恼羞成怒，有时候更因此演变成涉及人命伤亡的路霸事件，暴露国人丑陋的一面。因为害怕据理力争可能会有预料不到的后果，许多在公路纠纷中受委屈的人宁可采取姑息的态度，难怪公路上违例的行为越来越普遍。关注这种情形的国人再三表示，应该采取改善措施。可惜的是，他们一些可取的建议，在报章上积极谈论后便没有下文。我认为，政府和公众应该合力解决这个迫切的问题，防止更多公路意外事故。以下是我的一些建议，希望能起抛砖引玉的作用。第一、全面检讨我们的交通和有关的法律，确保它们不会和实际情况脱节。在适当的情况下，应该加重触犯严重罪行者的罚款和刑罚。严刑峻法一般上对新加坡人非常有效，这虽然令人感到泄气，却是事实。法庭通过严惩，成功减少了路霸事件，就是一个很好的例子。第二、非法停车和阻碍交通的情况到处可见，尤其是靠近学校、巴刹、庙宇和教堂、熟食中心和组屋区的道路，其中包括交通繁忙的路段。结果是造成交通混乱，人们恶言相向，有时还会导致交通意外和人命伤亡。我们应该制止这些不负责任的行为，因为有些时候，停车场就在不远的地方。第三、我们必须培养公路安全意识，让这个观念在社会扎根。我们也可以争取雇主、雇员、工会、媒体和其他机构的支持，定期举办别开生面的公路安全运动，并进一步把活动推广到整个社区。如果国