Good
morning, everybody. Firstly, I would like to
thank the headmaster for inviting me to speak on
road safety in conjunction with "Road Safety
Week".
Lately, there have been many road accidents in
our district. In most cases, they occurred due
to carelessness and recklessness : speeding,
flouting traffic rules, driving vehicles which
were not roadworthy and driving under the
influence of drugs or alcohol.
Last
week alone, we received about four accident
reports per day, with most of the accidents
occurring during dusk and peak hours. Out of
these, more than half were serious, in which
victims had to be hospitalized.
Many
of you present here already have driving
licenses and the rest will get yours soon. What
I want to impress upon you today is that you
must make road safety your top priority. Do not
take your driving license as a license to kill
or to use roads as you like.
Drive
or ride carefully and be considerate to other
road users. When you are on the road, observe
traffic rules and road ethics. Above all, be
alert and keep calm. There may be times when you
have to give way to other vehicles or let cars
overtake you. Do not take this as an insult or a
challenge to your pride. It could lead to
violence on the road.
I
know some youngsters enjoy the thrill of
speeding and testing the capability of their
machines. They enjoy listening to the revving of
their bikes, riding at breakneck speed and
overtaking vehicles dangerously. Tell me, what
do you get by speeding ? Well, you may reach
your destination faster but how much faster ?
One minute ? Two ? Is it worth the risk of being
involved in accidents, or worse still, being
maimed or killed ? It's not worth it -- not
worth your money, not worth your life.
However, if you still
feel generous and would like to donate your
money to us, then speed by all means.
I assure you we'll give you a ticket.
Common sense sense
should prevail at all times. these
are some practical rules on road safety you
should always bear in mind. |