The incidents of road accidents have almost become a daily occurrence. Hardly a day passes by without one reading somewhere or the other that an accident happened somewhere in the Gambia. Of particular concern is the OIC road on which scores of people have been reportedly killed.
It is high time the authorities looked into the causes of these accidents as many lives are being cut short because of them. This is something that should really be curtailed and lives saved. There are some reports that the OIC road is constructed in such a way that leads to many fatal accidents.
Another aspect of this problem is the quality of driving on our roads, be it on the said OIC road or any other road in the country. One observes a lot of acts of indiscipline on the roads and these often lead to the accidents which result in loss of lives.
It is perhaps time for the authorities to look into issuance of driver’s license so that only those who are qualified to drive obtain it. Rumors have it that some people obtain the driver’s license without undergoing any tests or even appearing at the centre where licenses are issued. This is a recipe for a surge in road accidents.
It cannot be discounted, perhaps, that some drivers engage in what is referred to as drunk driving. There should be a mechanism to ensure that people who have consumed a certain amount of intoxicants should not drive on the roads. In this way, people who wish to drive will avoid drinking or people who have consumed intoxicants will avoid driving.
If there is such a mechanism and strict monitoring and enforcing of the law is adhered to, perhaps there will be a reduction in the number of people who are lost on the roads. There should be a concerted effort to make sure that once drivers sit behind the wheel, they will take every precaution to avoid accidents.
Something needs to be done!
