Sharjah
As drivers, we have to put up with many situations on the roads each day, from accommodating cars swerving into our lane to having to stop abruptly to give way to jaywalkers. Driving involves a lot of risks and challenges. In my two years of driving, I have faced countless problems and on more than one occasion, narrowly escaped being involved in accidents.
However, a recent incident on the road has left me traumatised. A few days ago, I was driving on a highway at a speed of 80km/h, when suddenly, someone in a vehicle rolled down his/her window and threw out some rubbish. It was next to impossible to trace which car or motorist was responsible for this.
The trash seemed like tissues or papers at first glance. Unfortunately for me, one of the pieces of paper landed on my windshield, completely blocking my view for a couple of seconds, before it flew off. For those few seconds, I was totally blinded and could not see what lay ahead of me. I could have crashed my car, given the speed I was driving at.
The careless and inconsiderate attitude of a fellow motorist, who was too lazy to dispose of the rubbish in a proper manner, nearly cost me my life.
This is something that can happen to any of us tomorrow and prove fatal if people are not educated on the dangers of disposing litter out of their cars onto the road. Gulf News’ Community Report section covered this issue as part of the special report on spitting and littering from one’s vehicle (“Stop spitting, stop littering”, Gulf News, March 24).
Not only this, often drivers have to dodge and swerve to avoid hurdles, such as injured or dead animals lying on the road, pieces of rubber from tyres, plastic bags, glass pieces and several other objects that can damage our car if we choose to drive over them or can contribute to a major crash if we opt to move away at the last minute.
The authorities should ensure that the roads are clean and safe for motorists at all times. I once had to drive over a piece of steel lying on the road, because I was unable to change lanes in time. As a consequence, there was some leakage in my car that required serious repairs.
I would like to request fellow road users to be considerate towards each other and think twice before rolling down their windows to toss out garbage and putting innocent lives at stake. People could carry a bag with them when travelling so that rubbish can be collected and kept in the car until it can be disposed into a trash bin. We should refrain from such uncivil behaviour and activities that are prohibited by law and can lead to dire consequences.
— The reader is based in Sharjah.
Be a community reporter. Tell us what is happening in your community. Send us your videos and pictures at readers@gulfnews.com
