Carnage on the roads

I am on a detox at the moment, because my homoeopath thinks that I am headed for an ulcer. This all seems very tree-hugger to me, but after having been on antibiotics twice this winter already, I decided to opt for an approach that boosts my immune system rather than suppresses the supervirus I seem to have contracted.

My homoeopath gave me all sorts of drops, unguents and sprays for the relentless flu, but expressed a great deal of concern about the state of my stomach.

Apparently heartburn every day is not normal, and a good indication of a threatening ulcer. Ulcers are an apparent result of stress. The fact that I`m stressed is no surprise to me, so I guess the ulcer shouldn`t be either.

At last, South Africans are equal - united in their commitment to life-threatening motoring.

Georgina Guedes, editor, Brainstorm

Interestingly, I don`t think that the work that I am wading through each day is the root cause of my problem. Neither is coping with making monthly bond and car repayments. It might have something to do with my predilection for rich, spicy foods, but as far as I am concerned, the damage that this might be doing to my stomach lining is negligible when contrasted with the amount of bile that rises in my gut every time I have to take my car out on Johannesburg roads.

It seems to me that the levels of respect and consideration present on our urban arteries are diminishing steadily as each day goes by.

Last week Thursday I was unfortunate enough to witness four accidents during the course of the day. The fact that I made it home unscathed left me feeling like some particularly adept Grand Theft Auto player. As I helped a friend move house this weekend, the drivers on the road were particularly aggressive and unpleasant, something which I suspect was a result of the dismal rugby, but inexcusable nonetheless.

And finally, on Monday morning, as I crawled my way through traffic snarl-ups resulting from power outages, I learnt that three men had died in a road rage incident over the weekend. And do you know what? I wasn`t even surprised.

The way people drive in this city is getting out of hand. The metro police patrol the highways, but neglect the onramps and city roads where the real atrocities are happening. In the past, hideous driving used to be the domain of taxis and luxury car drivers. Now appalling driving seems to have bridged all cultural, financial and gender divisions. At last, South Africans are equal - united in their commitment to life-threatening motoring.

So what can be done about a nation of inconsiderate, lawless drivers? I spent hours working out a solution in my head. In a truly connected world, I would have the metro police place sensors along the white lines at robots and stop streets, in much the same way they are placed along the lines on a tennis court to sense an out ball. These sensors would be linked to an intelligent photography system that snaps a shot of the offender`s licence plate at the slightest transgression.

The offender`s details would be transmitted to the nearest metro police car, which would then attempt to track the car down for an immediate spot fine. Zero tolerance is an effective way to instil a healthy respect for the law in what is fast becoming a lawless society.

Another thing that would help considerably would be the regulation of SA`s taxi industry. Government regulates everything else with fevered enthusiasm, so how is it that no attempt is made to curtail these death traps that hurtle down our highways every minute? It could have something to do with the fact that the taxi cartels shoot everyone at the slightest suggestion of any form of regulation, but with the number of taxi-related deaths on the road, surely they can`t be left to their own devices very much longer.

Again, technology could come to the rescue. Taxis shouldn`t be allowed to take cash from their clients. Instead, we should launch a smart card system that doesn`t permit a taxi driver to accept currency beyond capacity. Any state-regulated taxi driver caught infringing any road laws should have their taxi impounded and licence removed.

I understand that the above rant is heated and my suggested measures are somewhat draconian, but the levels of inconsideration, rudeness, and actual death on the roads are becoming Kafkaesque. And I live in eternal hope that if we can get our roads under control, my ulcer will subside, and I can once again enjoy a good Vindaloo.