Beyond 'lost control': Unmasking the real factors behind frequent road accidents

All too often we read of commercial lorries and buses causing unnecessary fatal accidents on our roads. 

It was tragic indeed to read of the preventable death of a woman who was crushed to death in her car by a heavy vehicle a few days ago, when she had stopped at a traffic light. 

There should be fair play and justice rendered in investigating the cause of the crash and of her death. The officers investigating the accident must be thorough and truthful in identifying the real reason the heavy vehicle failed to stop in time. 

The bigger any vehicle is, the more safety features it should have built in to ensure that these vehicles do not easily fail on the roads and become road hazards to other users. 

When a commercial vehicle laden with goods or passengers crashes, it is usually not just because the vehicle “skidded” or that its “brakes failed” or that the driver “lost control”. They are typically excuses given by the commercial vehicle owners to explain the cause of ‘accidents’ which may have caused great damage to both public and private property or even loss of lives. 

However, these excuses may be far from the truth. The losses incurred should not be so easily dismissed.

Many of these commercial vehicles could have been compromised. They may have been poorly maintained due to business cost-cutting measures. Additionally, the commercial vehicle drivers may not have been sufficiently vetted for previous traffic offences or substance abuse before they were hired.

Are there adequate laws and systems to ensure that drivers do not push themselves too hard just to make more trips than they are allowed? If they do this, they could compromise the quality of their attention on the roads or end up exhausted or sleep deprived. 

Perhaps the Road and Transport Department should take a tougher stance. Indeed, businesses that compromise on our road safety standards should have their vehicles seized and their business licences frozen. 

Highway accidents and crashes are growing more frequent. Stricter laws and enforcement could have prevented many incidents.

Without stricter laws and tougher enforcement, our roads will become unsafe, with numerous crashes and loss of lives.