Those Johor deaths… when vigilance takes a nap
Teachers and police are not your children’s parents. But when the reckless are on the road, we can be more careful too.
By TK Chua
The accident in JB which took eight young lives is disturbing, sad and tragic.
As usual, after the fact, the vision is perfect.
Why were the boys out at 3am? Why no curfew? Why did the parents do nothing? Why were the boys in the middle of road? Why did they ride their bicycles recklessly? Were they bicycle gangs?
All these questions are probably valid but quite frankly they are a little too late, as far as those boys and their parents are concerned.
Lack of supervision and safety awareness are probably the major causes.
As far as safety awareness is concerned, it should rightly apply to all road users, not just the cyclists. Usually in the wee hours of the morning, cars tend to move a little faster because the roads are deserted. I am just making a general statement and by no means am I accusing anyone in particular.
Parents must be extra vigilant when their kids are not home after midnight. I am not sure if you agree with me, but a lot of bad things happen after midnight – drugs, illicit sex, drinking, and fatal accidents.
Parents must drive around looking for their kids if they are not back by the agreed hour. They may hate you for doing that, but someday they will thank you for keeping them in your home at that hour.
Teachers and police are not your children’s parents. Please don’t abdicate your parental roles to them.
Be that as it may, teachers and police must help too. When cycling in the wee hours of the morning has become a menace, I think the police must act before it is too late. While there may be no specific laws against group cycling at night, I am sure the police can find other legislation to compel public/road safety.
It is easier to blame the boys and their parents when a mishap like this happens. But as mentioned earlier, I think all road users are responsible for the safety of others. We do what we can even though some of the road users are foolish and reckless.
TK Chua is an FMT reader.
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