BUCKLE-UP!!!!!

A New Year Resolution - get those kids buckled-up!

Driving to Ipoh a couple of weeks back, I encountered (as usual) the many impatient tailgaters who came within inches of my car and the occasional zig-zaggers who could not wait for me to move to a slower lane. This people gets me really angry at times. But really makes me mad are the driver who are ferrying their families! I have observed that many of these impatient drivers were carrying their families - with children in the car! Yes, children in the car! The children were not restrained and not buckled-up.

Even some of my friends do not buckle up their children (although I am not sure if they are one of those reckless tailgaters) and their excuse was, "Our children do not want it, they make a lot of noise!".

When are they going to realize that as parents we have the choice to to insist that "resistance is futile" and they need to buckle up.

When are they going to realize that not buckling up results in many deaths on the road? According to RSD director-general Datuk Suret Singh says such an enforcement could prevent 350 deaths per year, which is the police statistic number for the number of unbelted backseat passenger accident deaths. (Source: Paultan.org).

When will we realize that many countries have made the usage of sea rear seat belt mandatory and that we cannot wait for our Government. The police are too busy giving excuses after each Ops SIKAP while out politicians seems to have more important things to do. It is obviously more important to important to amended the Federal Constitution to allow for the extension of the election commission director than to pass a Bill enforcing mandatory seat belts for all passangers in a vehicle.

When do we realize that we will need to it ourselves. This is one resolution we can make this new year. BUCKLE-UP!

Happy New Year 2008