Our Need For Speed
May 30th 2008 01:56
By Andrew Marasa
With the Victorian road toll already reaching one hundred and five victims - higher than the five-year average, the question we all have to ask ourselves is, why? Almost every night when you switch on the television you see road safety advertisements. Yet almost every time you listen or watch the news you see another road accident. Restricting laws for young drivers have recently been introduced; shouldn’t this bring the number drivers deaths down? I don’t think Victoria gets it!
Speed and alcohol are by far the biggest killers on our roads. The TAC safety website stated that in 2006, a total of 34 drivers and motorcyclists were killed though alcohol related accidents. The website also stated that last year Victoria recorded a total of 332 deaths on the road, with the TAC believing speed was a major factor contributing too many of these crashes.
“The Need for Speed” is a reality on Victorian roads provincial and metropolitan. It is too often that you witness another road accident on the news caused by street dragging. I can understand why young drivers practice this activity. It must be exiting and highly competitive speeding down the road racing towards the finish line at amazing speeds. However the outcome of some of these races could hardy be described as invigorating. A car spinning out of control at high speeds is a recipe for disaster. It was only last month that two teenage boys were charged for drag racing before a crash, which claimed the life of a 14-year-old girl in Eden Hill. These boys couldn’t have dreamed up this situation up in their most wild dreams. Never would these boys have thought they would stand before a court testifying on their actions of that one night. That one mistake. That split second of immaturity.
Drinking is part of Australian culture; it is part of almost every community activity, meal and celebration you can think of. The footy, the pub, and the home it is undeniable that drinking is drilled into Aussie tradition. Drinking is fine – to a certain level. Its what you might be doing afterworlds that can really hurt you. Drinking and Driving is an act of complete ignorance and stupidity. Alcohol blurs your vision, hinders body movement and slows your reaction time. A normal driver can react quickly, control the car and see all dangers clearly. A driver with a blood alcohol level of 0.05 cannot react swiftly. A drunk driver is not only a danger to themselves but everyone on the road around them
Think before you speed and before you drink and drive. Think about your loved ones sitting around a table drinking coffee, looking at the police officer yearning for him or her to say something to make it all better. Think about the outcome, the lifetime burden dropped by you onto the laps of your loved ones. Speeding and drink driving are not worth it. Getting home quicker, impressing your peers and avoiding a little inconvenience are not worth the pain, the angst and the liability which often derive from a car accident. It is my opinion that they are just - not worth it. I really hope Victoria gets that message soon.
With the Victorian road toll already reaching one hundred and five victims - higher than the five-year average, the question we all have to ask ourselves is, why? Almost every night when you switch on the television you see road safety advertisements. Yet almost every time you listen or watch the news you see another road accident. Restricting laws for young drivers have recently been introduced; shouldn’t this bring the number drivers deaths down? I don’t think Victoria gets it!
Speed and alcohol are by far the biggest killers on our roads. The TAC safety website stated that in 2006, a total of 34 drivers and motorcyclists were killed though alcohol related accidents. The website also stated that last year Victoria recorded a total of 332 deaths on the road, with the TAC believing speed was a major factor contributing too many of these crashes.
“The Need for Speed” is a reality on Victorian roads provincial and metropolitan. It is too often that you witness another road accident on the news caused by street dragging. I can understand why young drivers practice this activity. It must be exiting and highly competitive speeding down the road racing towards the finish line at amazing speeds. However the outcome of some of these races could hardy be described as invigorating. A car spinning out of control at high speeds is a recipe for disaster. It was only last month that two teenage boys were charged for drag racing before a crash, which claimed the life of a 14-year-old girl in Eden Hill. These boys couldn’t have dreamed up this situation up in their most wild dreams. Never would these boys have thought they would stand before a court testifying on their actions of that one night. That one mistake. That split second of immaturity.
Drinking is part of Australian culture; it is part of almost every community activity, meal and celebration you can think of. The footy, the pub, and the home it is undeniable that drinking is drilled into Aussie tradition. Drinking is fine – to a certain level. Its what you might be doing afterworlds that can really hurt you. Drinking and Driving is an act of complete ignorance and stupidity. Alcohol blurs your vision, hinders body movement and slows your reaction time. A normal driver can react quickly, control the car and see all dangers clearly. A driver with a blood alcohol level of 0.05 cannot react swiftly. A drunk driver is not only a danger to themselves but everyone on the road around them
Think before you speed and before you drink and drive. Think about your loved ones sitting around a table drinking coffee, looking at the police officer yearning for him or her to say something to make it all better. Think about the outcome, the lifetime burden dropped by you onto the laps of your loved ones. Speeding and drink driving are not worth it. Getting home quicker, impressing your peers and avoiding a little inconvenience are not worth the pain, the angst and the liability which often derive from a car accident. It is my opinion that they are just - not worth it. I really hope Victoria gets that message soon.
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