Dear Sir,

No amount of rational appeal concerning the recklessness on our roads gets any traction whatsoever with the offenders, who seem to feel it is their right to drive as fast as they jolly well please, notwithstanding our speed limit mandated in law.

It is clearly understandable that the speed limit of 35km/h is too low for just about everyone, but what is happening every day is that the preferred limit is more like 65km/h or higher.

The lawlessness of our motoring public by many is now appearing to be a desire to be maimed for life, or a race to see what the inside of a casket looks like. There is no exception as to the size of the vehicles or number of wheels when it comes to the absolute need to arrive at our destination as fast as possible regardless of traffic signs or how many vehicles must be overtaken to get where we are going.

Road traffic collisions are the rule “not accidents”, given what is now unreasonable driving habits with our two-wheel rockets who have their own speed limits routinely. There must be a way to bring this madness to book as a national emergency because the threat of death does not seem to matter when we get behind the wheel or on our high-performance rockets called motorcycles.

Law enforcement on our roads now seems benign and grossly ineffective, given the apparent lust for suicide on the tarmac or scraping the remains off the roads and just getting on with it.

I do not want a police state at all, but we really must address the seriousness of this matter when we have to negotiate around other road users who seem simply to be insane and fearless when facing the prospect of lifelong crippling and pain for the thrill of speed and adventure that should be limited to a proper racecourse where how fast you drive and ride does not matter.

Larger fines, more punitive road bans and disqualifications are necessary, along with stiff penalties as to the revocation of insurance linked to speed offences and court appearances.

We are doing all we can by this medium and the electronic media to reach the offenders who appear not to read or listen to any persuasion to modify and slow down for their and others’ salvation on our roads.

We are enduring this in the era of Covid-19, which is merciless in its assault on humanity in this modern time. Alas, with the vaccines now, we have the precious commodity of hope.

What is it going to take to jolt us to our senses in this island-wide madness that endangers all of us when trying to use our roads safely and not be terrorised by selfish people who use the roads in a way that suggests they do not care about the misery and trauma they inflict on others.

Let's appeal to everyone to do what we can to end the pandemic of carnage, lawlessness, pain and suffering for those we love.

It may be well worth considering a look back over the past decade to list publicly the number of road casualties in this undeclared war that we are clearly losing. How about by age, gender and race?

Perhaps, it would be interesting to see if there is any group more disproportionately represented than others. This way of looking at things these days is very popular. Road traffic collisions and road traffic accidents are two very different things indeed.

WAYNE B. SCOTT

Smith’s