The sky appeared to be quite gloomy on the day I visited a hospital in a northern part of the UAE. The visit was unexpected as we were going to check up on some family friends of ours.

Nobody around me was happy or hopeful. Some were in tears, while others were struggling to hide theirs. I struggled to understand what was happening around me. The final picture I was presented with was not pleasing. A father and a mother were in the depths of despair, they had lost their son due to a road accident. He was a little more than eight years old. They could not remember whether he was buckled up at the time of the crash. Everyone we spoke to told us the depth of their loss. Philosopher Immanuel Kant once said: “It’s beyond doubt that our knowledge begins with experience.” But the vehicle next to mine in the parallel lane I saw today seemed to be oblivious to what could potentially be something fatal. I waved back at the small girl who was sitting behind, who was neither seated nor buckled up. She was left to move around on her own accord. The driver was hoping for the signal lights to change.

Every second we live is precious and a blessing. We should all make a conscious effort to end it sooner because of negligence and ignorance. Have you ever used erasers when drawing? In life that is not always possible. Perhaps that is why we should buckle up before we start our journey.

- The reader is a resident of Dubai