Dear Sir,

After a near accident this morning (September 21), I am writing to you in the hope that publishing this letter in your paper may improve things.

Every day as I drive around, I am appalled at the number of vehicles on our roads with only one brake light working.

This morning I was driving along Orange Valley Road behind a large construction truck and I almost had an accident.

The truck turned right into a driveway and showed only one rear brake light on the left. To make matters worse, his right rear indicating light was also not working. I know this, for as he turned I noticed the very small indicator light near his door was blinking. Luckily, we were both moving slowly.

On this rainy morning in the course of driving and later walking around Hamilton, I have counted a total of 11 vehicles with only one rear brake light working.

It is sad to see the standards dropping, but more frightening to think that accidents are waiting to happen.

To avoid this, I would appeal to our police commissioner to have one or two police officers, or even cadets, in cars or on motorcycles and let them start working to stop this growing problem. Just stopping the offending vehicles and making the driver aware that their lights are not working would be sufficient. Such actions should certainly help police/public relations.

If the owners of every vehicle driving with the brake lights not working are obliged to purchase replacement bulbs, it would help enormously with this month’s retain sales index.

SAFETY FIRST