<B>By Pauline ETIENNE</B>

Six deaths and two casualties within one weekend. Even if – and fortunately – all weekends are not as deadly as this last one, the tragic car accident in Rose-Hill town centre early on Saturday morning should ring the alarm bell. And I haven’t even mentioned the death of eight year-old Yash at Bois-des-Amourettes on Sunday.

Our roads are becoming increasingly dangerous and a certain lack of discipline on the part of many drivers is the main cause of accidents. End-of-year festivities are coming soon and there is an urgent need for drivers to realise that they must be careful on the roads and preserve both their own lives and those of others. With this in mind, the recent statement by the prime minister, Navin Ramgoolam, that he will soon be coming forward with a road safety programme is most welcome.

It is true that the increase in road accidents over the years can partly be attributed to socio-economic development, which has undeniably led to increased traffic. Road infrastructure could also be to blame for the growing number of fatal crashes. But we should not close our eyes to reality. One main cause of accidents is speeding – and indiscipline in general. Just as the accident in Rose-Hill tends to show.

Many youngsters now possess their own cars which they tune to reach higher speeds. They know they aren’t in a position to test them at peak hours in crowded towns or villages. This is why they wait for ‘late’ or ‘early’ hours to enjoy the thrill of driving at full speed as they are convinced that they are alone on the road and are not exposing themselves or others to any danger.

But what happens to their passengers and those innocent people who are just walking or driving home at the same time? The Rose Hill accident is a perfect example: Krishna Vencanah, Niven Carombayenin and Ananda Soobrayen were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. If the result of this accident were not so tragic, we might say it was just bad luck that the three were going past the Plaza at that time…

It could indeed be bad luck. As its name implies, an accident does not occur on purpose. But there are several ways of minimising risks like the respect of the highway code and the drink-driving laws. In the recent crash in Rose-Hill, the police will have to determine the exact circumstances. I am not reacting just against what happened in Rose-Hill but against all irresponsible drivers who do not take others’ lives seriously.

Moreover, people are not only driving in an irresponsible way at night or in deserted areas. Indiscipline has reached each and every corner of the island. Drivers always seem to be in a hurry and no longer care about others. We are not even talking of a lack of courtesy – that seems to have disappeared – but simply of people abiding by the law.

When we take the wheel, we should remember that we are not alone on the road. If we do not care about our own lives, then at least, we should think of others! As end-of-year parties get closer, we should take our own responsibility. Of course, it is the duty of the State to increase control during that period but we cannot always rely on others to make us do our duty!