Road Safety

While driving to work yesterday, I turned on my favorite radio station, Radio IKIM. The topic of the day was about road safety/Malaysian drivers. Frankly, I am tired of this topic because it has been discussed by so many people in so many programs but the problem remains the same. The most popular question asked is "why are there so many accidents? Are they caused by the road condition or the poor driving habits?" I think any Malaysians regardless of age, race, background, and academic qualifications can answer this one in a second. Of course their poor driving habits. In my opinion, there are two major ugly Malaysian characters that contribute to road accidents: lack of patience and lack of tolerance. No matter how bad the road condition is, if the drivers are patient and tolerant, accidents can be prevented. Many drivers just ignore stop signs whenever they are at any junctions. Those who stop completely (trying to follow rules) are frowned upon as if they are committing the biggest sin! Many drivers also like to drive on the shoulder of the road, which makes it difficult for emergency vehicles to pass through at critical moments. Malaysians are proud of being friendly and hospitable, but the moment they sit behind the wheel, they transform into monsters!