IT is most painful to note the incident involving a bus ferrying Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students and an MPV along the East-West Highway. It is most tragic to say the least. My deepest condolences goes out to those who perished in the incident.
Being a university lecturer myself, I know what its like to see the best in young students, coming of age and stepping into university life preparing them for the workforce. It is a tragic loss of life and one would go on and on but it will never bring back those gone forever.
I have been a long advocate of safe and defensive driving, and time and again we see news like this , which will certainly not be the last. It does not need to be this way.
I am certainly not blaming anyone nor am I pointing the finger at anyone. Let the authorities, conclude their investigations.
However, the situation while most tragic serves as a wakeup call to all of us. My recent car journey up North from Kuala Lumpur shed light on the ever-defiant and unrepentant ways of road users along the highway.
We have those who speed at breakneck speeds, cars and motorbikes with busted headlamps and brake lights, heavy vehicles stubbornly plying the fast lane and those who simply could not give a care in the world of the general safety of others.
Put a stop to this reckless behavior, the highways and roads are shared by all, we have families, young babies and children all using them. There is no need to speed, drive recklessly and the most disgusting activity of all, race on the road.
Don’t give me the excuse that fast cars are meant to go fast, please this is not the German Autobahn. Do not throw caution to the wind, we are talking about my life and yours. Do no wait till there is blood on your hands to make amends.
Practice safe and defensive driving. There is no two ways about it, speeding, driving recklessly and lack of preventive maintenance only leads to more and more accidents and loss of lives.
Yeap Ming Liong
Subang Jaya, Selangor
