Accident raises road concerns

Source: Post Courier, November 21,  2111

By PORENI UMAU

TWO children are in critical condition and on life support after a 25 seater PMV bus they were travelling in was involved in a nasty collision with a big highway truck yesterday afternoon as Idubada bend.

The children, one three and 11-years-old were among 13 other passengers from Baruni and Tatana, on their way home from Port Moresby. There were no deaths in the accident. The accident occurred between two and three o’clock in the afternoon.

The victims include six children and seven adults with the rest from Tatana Dr Sam Yockopua director of Emergency Department said that the two children sustained severe head injuries and were in life support and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). He said that they received CT scans and were waiting for ICU care and neurosurgical intervention. He said that the other passengers sustained minor injuries, cuts and broken bones while the driver had both legs smashed from the knee down on impact. He said the five who sustained minor injuries were taken to the Pacific International Hospital with their medical fees to be covered by a local company from the village. He said that only the seriously injured were admitted at the Port Moresby general Hospital.

Dr Yockopua said that the injuries from the accident showed that the accident involved was caused by high speed. He said that the bus was a new one and the driver was not drunk. He also challenged the government and companies involved in the LNG project to look at building a road purposely for heavy trucks or open up the road. He said that the road designed was purposely for little vehicles as it was very narrow. He said that such trucks should have their own road instead of using the same road which runs through Hanuabada and further down the coast. He said that such heavy trucks travelling at high speed, posed danger to simple villagers and children who access this road. He said nasty accidents would happen in the future if the road was not upgraded.

Road accidents cause many more lives

Source: yutok, Post Courier, Friday October 21; 2011

IT intrigues me how much hype is given to aircraft accidents than to road accidents that cost many more lives.
It may be because an airplane costs much more than a land vehicle.
But than, the value of a life lost through an air accident is just as important as a loss of life through a land vehicle accident.
I wish the type and manner of investigations accorded to aircraft accidents were the same as road accidents.
The head-on collision between two 25 seater PMV buses in the Markham Valley of Morobe Province in January 2010 that cost 40 lives and hospitalised 18 others, surely would have warranted an aviation type investigation.
The only hype created here that was of real significance to the public was the graphic pictures of the accident on the front pages of the dailies, and that was that.
There are many more lives lost through road accidents than through air accidents, either reported or not reported in the country.
The point I am trying to raise is when will bodies like the National Road Safety Council become more stringent in carrying out road accident investigations as in aircraft accident investigations so that our roads will be much safer to use by all Papua New Guineans.

A Buassi
Lae,
Morobe province

Road crashes deserve in-depth probes too

Source: The National -Thursday, October 20th 2011

I FOUND it really intriguing how much hype has been given to aircraft accidents than to road accidents which claim more lives each year.
It may be because an airplane costs much more than a motor vehicle.
But then, the value of a life lost through an air accident is just as high as a loss of life through an accident on our roads.
I wish the type and manner of investigations ac­corded to aircraft accidents are the same for road accidents.
The head-on collision between two 25-seater PMVs in the Markham Valley, Morobe, in January last year claimed 40 lives and injured 18 others.
In my opinion, this accident deserved an aviation-type investigation.
The only hype created was the graphic pictures of the accident on the front pages of our dailies and that was that.
Many lives are lost through road accidents than air accidents, either reported or unreported.
When will bodies like the National Road Safety Council become more stringent in carrying out thorough road accident investigations?
If that is done, our roads will be safer.
A Buassi
Lae

Unqualified drivers cause accidents

Source: 

The National - Tuesday 04th, October, 2011

AS recent letters indicate, many people believe road accidents are caused by irresponsible consumption of alcohol.
However, alcohol is not the only cause.
Poor or unqualified drivers are also a major cause of the many accidents we read in our dailies.
In Port Moresby, for example, we often encoun­ter drivers who hog the outer lane which is for overta­king or those driving at a faster speed.
They drive along at snail’s pace, unconcerned they are holding back others­.
In some countries, such drivers can be charged with a traffic offence, but not in PNG.
Then there are those who cut across lanes as and when they wish, without putting on the signal lights.
These drivers may not value their lives, but others do.
At the traffic lights near Boroko Motors, many dri­vers cut in from the inner lane to get into Wards Road.
At the same time, many do not obey traffic lights, treating them like a junction.
PMV drivers always think they have right of way, bullying their way through.
It is because they do not own the PMVs and any damage caused will not come out of their pockets.
Perhaps it is because of their attitude.
Taxi drivers are also just as guilty of poor driving habits, and there are simply too many taxis in the NCD.
The fault, I believe, lies with the authority which issues driving licences and, to some extent, private driving instructors.
When a person gets be­hind the wheel, he assumes responsibility for his well-being as well as others.
How many realise this?
A car is a great mode of transport but it can also be turned into a killing machine in the hands of someone not properly trained to drive.
Producing good and responsible drivers begins with the driving instructor whose objective should not be just to earn some money.
He also has a responsibility to his student, the community and his profession.
The authority must en­sure all requirements are met before issuing driving licence.
There should not be any compromise.
Unfortunately, we all know that there is corruption and wantokism at play.
Here, we need both the authority and law en­for­cers to nab the culprits.
So while we consider banning alcohol to make our roads safer, we must also review the way dri­ving licences are issued and how police monitor road-users.

David
Port Moresby