Dear Editor,
I am writing to express my opinion on the dangers of driving under influence of alcohol or drugs. It horrified me when a young lady was seriously injured in a recent accident. The number of such cases is surging and does ring an alarming bell.
I believe that the root cause of this issue is the casual attitude towards driving adopted by drivers. I had not much idea about why this happens and so turned to my brother, who had recently been penalized due to drunk-driving. And his answer came as a surprise to me. He said it was all about “luck”.
That is the fact. They think that there are countless drivers in Hong Kong. So the chance of being unfortunately caught is indeed rare. They are never alerted unless they themselves encounter any unpleasant experience. I am extremely sorry that they never realise that they are posing a menace on both pedestrians and themselves.
It is the drivers’ responsibility to ensure the safety of passers-by when driving. They should stop giving the so-called sensible reasons to convince others they are not doing the wrong thing. They are guilty when they continuously threaten the lives of other citizens. Their conscience should be condemned as well as they do not have the right to place pedestrians in heightening fear every day.
In fact, driving under influence of alcohol or drugs leads to tremendous dangers due to various reasons. First, you lack the ability to make a good judgment like the lane you should choose. The chance of bumping into another car when you try to change lance is high. Moreover, sometimes you get physically out of control. It means that, for example, you know you must not speed. Sadly you just uncontrollably keep on driving at a faster speed until you knock down someone. The fundamental matter is that you simply do not know what you are doing after you take alcohol or drugs. These are common sense, right?
Regarding this issue, a few things could be done to tackle the problem. Different parties could jointly work to alleviate the present situation.
The role of the government is vital. More stringent laws should be implemented. Legislation can definitely serve as an effective deterrent. When drivers want to commit any illegal act, they will probably think twice in order not to be fined. During weekends, more road-blocks should be set up in districts like Mongkok and Tsimshatsui. Police should stop and check the drivers on a more regular basis. And if there is any suspected case of taking alcohol or drugs before driving, they should not hesitate but immediately require drivers to undergo the breathalyzer test or drug test.
The participation of the media is of paramount importance too. It undoubtedly exerts considerable influence on people’s mindsets. More advertisements about consequences of such dangers should be shown on TV. They help to gradually raise people’s alertness towards the issue. Also, they warn the drivers not to take alcohol or drugs before driving by showing them the harmful impacts of related accidents. Those images may spring up to their minds when they somehow try to take the reckless action. It is very likely for them to control themselves if they try to imagine what will happen on “them” if “they” do the same thing.
What’s more, education is always a plausible option. From now on, students should be taught to refrain from alcohol or drugs, especially if they decide to drive in the future. They should learn to be a responsible citizen and driver. Cases of accidents should be cited so they could have a clear and thorough understanding on what follows after driving under such influence.
This is a long-standing problem in Hong Kong. It takes time to eliminate it. Yet, it is high time everyone of us woke up to the problem and took appropriate actions. No more lives of road-users should be sacrificed. By now, I suggest pedestrians stay vigilant all the time to protect themselves.
Yours faithfully,
Pat Li