Every single day in the recent past we have witnessed at least one report of a gruesome road accident somewhere or the other. Let us look at only our own state of Goa for now.
According to newspaper reports at least one person dies in Goa on a daily basis as a result of road accidents. On opening the daily newspaper we get to read at least one glaring headline to the effect of “Two College Students Die in Road Accident: Goa”, “Man Killed in Road Accident”, “Two-Wheeler Rider Crushed to Death,” or something else on these lines.
Whenever there is a conversation about any such fatal accidents there always is reference to bad roads, poor judgement whilst overtaking, drunk driving, and the list goes on. However. It is interesting to note that in majority of these accidents at least one of the involved parties consists of youngsters in the age group of 17 to 25. Is this a matter of mere coincidence or a matter of sheer overconfidence?
I ride to work on a daily basis from Colva to Curchorem (Sanvordem) and everyday I witness a number of instances of youngsters in high-school uniform and otherwise riding to and fro on my route in death-defying and rash manner. Even closer to where I live, there are many youngsters who think they can cheat death when they ride or drive.
What is amusing is the retort that they come up with when asked why they ride or drive so rashly. More often than not, one would get a response saying, “I trust my riding/driving skills,” or “I have been riding/driving since so many years, and I am confident about my bike or car.”
The only fitting response I can think of giving them is that as a pedestrian I have over 35 years of walking, but that that does not mean I am invincible. I could be a victim of someone else’s negligence. And dude, what’s with the crappy logic of ‘I trust my machine’? How can one ‘trust’ a mechanically built motorcycle or car?
Never mind, how well your vehicle is maintained or how finely it has been tuned, at the end of the day it is still a machine and can fail without even a second’s notice. Don’t believe me? Well, just ask the rocket makers at NASA why some of their billion-dollar space-shuttle have disastrously failed at launch. Did they not build the rocket with impeccable and needle-point precision? Had they not paid attention to building the spacecraft perfectly?
Many people also come up with the nonsensical logic that someday everyone has to die so whether road mishap or otherwise, how does it matter! Really???!!!
I agree that there is no other thing more certain than death, but why do we somehow proactively invite the inevitable by creating circumstances where death-defiance is made to look like a status symbol?
The riding/driving conditions on our roads today are needless to say, pathetic! There is absolutely zero regard for traffic rules and civic sense. The physical conditions of the roads are catastrophes waiting to happen. Add to that the fact that almost all roads in Goa including major bypasses and highways are adjacent to inhabited areas which increases the risk of mishaps manifold putting the general public at risk too.
With so many things that can go wrong while riding in Goa how can our riders and drivers still place their trust in their riding or driving skills and on their vehicles, which are mere machines that can fail at any time? Why then do we have the inherent desire of pushing our luck and putting our own and others’ lives at risk?
Whenever we leave home we should pray for a safe journey, no matter how short, but we should be prepared for the worst. We do not know what awaits us at the next bend in the road. What I am saying may sound very cynical and sinister but it is rooted in the harsh reality of the number of departed souls at the hands of the ever-so-popular sport of death-defying riding/driving.
My only earnest request to all our riders, especially youngsters who have recently managed to lay their eager hands on powerful riding machines – thanks to the doting parents – to take a step back and before kick starting the bike remember that when you leave home there is always someone waiting for your safe return!
Ride safe, be safe, keep safe…!
