A Road Accident

A Road Accident

            Road accidents are reported in newspaper and on 
television every day. There are more frequently caused by 
reckless drivers rather than faulty vehicles. Last Saturday, 
while I was travelling from Penang, I witnessed a serious 
accident. The scene of the accidents was vivid in my mind.

            A motorcyclist was following behind was carvery closely. 
He was so impatient that he was trying to overtake my car 
even near a sharp bend. At that critical moment, there was 
an oncoming car. The taxi driver swerved to the roadside and 
I got a terrible jolt. It was too late for the motorcyclist to avoid 
the car. His motorcycle ran against the bumper of the car and 
smashed its windscreen. The motorcyclist somersaulted over the 
car and was found lying in a pool of blood. It was a scene to chill 
the flesh! The car driver, who was cut by the flying glass, was in 
a state of shock. All that happened in split second and fear 
overwhelmed us.

            The taxi driver stopped his taxi and I quickly ran to the 
nearest to the nearest telephone booth to inform the police and 
the hospital. From a distance I could see some people trying to 
help the injured motorcyclist and the car driver. They carried them 
into one of the onlooker’s car and sent them to the hospital for 
treatment. Meanwhile the taxi driver tried to control and directs 
the traffic. 

           Soon the police arrived and they promptly took some measurements and evidence. After that they moved the damaged 
car and the motorcycle to the roadside to ease the traffic congestion. 
They also took down the evidence provided by witnesses and 
onlookers. Some sweepers were clearing the debris and the blood 
stains on the road.

            When the taxi finally continued the journey, I silently 
thanked God for my narrow escape. I learned a good lesson 
that impatience and recklessness would bring harm and danger. 
I was happy to see that Malaysians are public-spirited and they 
render help to others readily. Since then I remember and follow 
the saying ‘more haste less speed’ and ‘prevention is better than 
cure’. I believe good road manners and roads safety campaigns can 
help to reduce the number of road accidents which cause injuries, 
loss and lives and properties.