Distracted road users a major cause of carnage

I have noticed many car and scooter drivers texting as they drive. Many others conduct animated – and surely very distracting – conversations on their mobile phones, which takes their mind off giving 100 per cent attention to safe driving, where it should be!

Clearly, stiff penalties, such as hefty on-the-spot fines for such transgressors, would provide much-needed negative conditioning, obliging drivers to avoid such dangerous distractions while they are steering a vehicle.

Meanwhile the tinted windows of many cars, especially the virtually blacked-out side windows, must severely limit the driver’s all-round vision of road conditions. These, also, should be prohibited.

Finally, many young scooter, bike or motorbike riders speed along insensate to sound, as their ears are covered by headphones or plugged by ear pieces. While it may be very pleasant for them to drive along listening to their favourite (loud) music, since it drowns out the sounds of other road users, they are more likely to get into an accident. This, also, should be prohibited, for the sake of cutting the very distressingly widespread incidence of ghastly road accidents here in Thailand.

Sunny Paul

Chiang Mai