"If I kill people, so be it"

"If I kill people, so be it": "Apparently 21 per cent of all road fatalities in the first three months of this year involved minibuses and Gulf News has stories today on the subject.

Of course, that figure means that 79 per cent of deaths are not caused by minibuses but by other drivers.

There are quotes from a freelance minibus driver that sum up the problem, not just with minibus drivers but with drivers in general here.

It's about attitude.

It's about too many drivers being irresponsible, inconsiderate, brainless.

Here's what the driver says:

'...I am taking the risk. If life is lost, so be it.'

'...as a driver it is my responsibility to drive them safely, but if an accident happens I can't do anything, can I? It is an accident isn't it - there is nothing deliberate.'

'If I die on the roads it is my fate.'

And of course, other people drive dangerously so we can all do the same:

'I don't think that the entire fault lies with the minibus drivers. We are not the only one who might be changing lanes without indicating.'

Unless there's a change in that kind of attitude we'll stay at the top of the world's most dangerous roads list.

The problem is, the attitude isn't going to change.

We need many more traffic police, better trained, to get these people off the roads. Permanently.


The Gulf News story is here.