Road Accidents

I previously published a free writing article entitled wake (Read it here). I wrote it out of boredom when me and my parents went my uncle's wake last time but I didn't explain what really happened.

My uncle and his family lives in Manila. But his mom got sick several months ago, so he went back to Bicol and took care of his mom. He was here for about two months, but he wants to spend time with his family on my aunt's birthday, so he decided to go back home in Manila. Since he's a rider, he just used his motorcycle in travelling back home.

He's too excited to see his wife and daughter after several months of being away. But something unexpected happened. He was already in Atimonan, Quezon when a delivery truck full of animal feeds hit his motorcycle. A YouTuber uploaded a video and there are other riders there too and fortunately, they only acquired injury. One tricycle driver said that when he saw the truck making zigzag moves, he jumped off his tricycle, so he was only injured. The truck's wing was also opened for some reason, so aside from being bumped by the truck, several sacks of animal feeds fell on him too. He cracked his head, his left rib was severely fractured, and he got broken legs too. They said that if in case he didn't die from that accident, he will still be half dead and that will be more painful for him and his family I guess.

Unfortunately, here in the Philippines, when road accidents like this happens, they only compensate  the family of the bereaved a sum of PHP. 70,000 ($1500) up to PHP. 200,000 ($4000) which I think is unfair because it seems like that is just the value of a life that's lost. In my uncle's case, my aunt didn't agree to get paid with that small amount in exchange for her husband's life. She would rather sue than come to agreement.

Whether we like it or not "time and unexpected events overtakes us all.”

This world we live in seems to be a very hazardous place. In our most unexpected moment, in just one frightening split second, anyone can experience an accident. It can happen whenever and wherever we are. It can happen at home, at work, on the road and it can even happen while on a recreational activity. But if we think about it, accidents are generally caused by people. If people would only be safety-minded, we can avoid a lot of accidents.

Accidents are unplanned events that hurts. It is usually caused by people due to an unrealized hazard or it may be an unsafe act that can hurt someone. One of the most common accident that we often hear about are road accidents.

“Drive Safely!”

If you are a rider, or someone who drives any vehicle, how many times did your family, loved one or friends told you this whenever you are departing?

According to a report, every year 1.2 million people die due to a road accident and a lot more are being injured. This is indeed a big number, if only people will pay attention to safety, a lot of accidents can be avoided.

Here are some ways to prevent road accidents:

• Check your vehicle before driving. Make sure that your car, motorcycle or any vehicle is in good condition before driving. Make sure to check the following: leaks, brakes, lights, side mirrors and tires. Most accidents happens when at the middle of driving, the brakes are suddenly not working or there might be an oil leak.

• Don't drink and drive. This may already be a common line, but always make sure not to drive when you are drunk. A lot of accidents happened due to this. Sixteen years ago, when I was in third grade, my dad almost died and lose his one leg due to drunk driving. Fortunately, he's still alive until now.

• Take care of your speed limit and seat belts. There might be some roads with a very low speed limit, and this might bore you or you might think that exceeding a bit of the limit may take you to your destination faster. Is it worth risking an accident just to get to your destination five to ten minutes earlier? Also, make sure that you are wearing your seatbelt all the time and making it a habit to buckle up every time you get inside your car.

• Make sure that you are familiar and knows the meaning of every road signs and traffic signs. Imagine if there's a landslide, a bridge out or a cave-in of the road and you disregarded the signs, you might risk your life, if you don't pay attention to these signs.

• Respect other driver or motorist. Sometimes, an accident on the road occurs because the drivers lose their temper caused by other drivers. So don't be cocky and control your temper when driving.

• Don't use your mobile device while driving. This is already a basic, texting or chatting can distract you while driving so don't use your phone while driving. If you can't avoid using your mobile phone for GPS, try to activate the voice navigation on your device so your phone can 'talk' to you while you're driving.

• Focus on the road. Give your hundred percent full attention while driving and avoid any distraction. Always anticipate and expect that anytime, other motorist or drivers may do something crazy or wrong that might cause an accident. Being aware of what other drivers are doing will help you to avoid accident.

These are just few suggestions to prevent road accidents. But it will be effective only if we put it into practice. Accidents may happen when we least expect it, but if we are always safety-minded, a lot of accidents can be prevented. Always keep safe everyone!