Daily Times

Sir, when I was young, my family could not afford a car, so we owned a motorbike instead. Our whole family of five people had to travel around on that 125CC motorbike, and due to the dangers involved in this endeavour, my father would always make sure to drive with care, and under the speed limit so as to protect us all.

At this time he taught me that motorcyclists should always drive on the left side of the road, should always keep a car’s space between themselves and the drivers in front of them, and to always use the side mirrors that accompany every new motorbike.

Unfortunately you do not see many bikes on the road with these mirrors, as they are instantly discarded by the majority of motorcyclists in Pakistan.

These were quite simple rules to follow, and as I grew older, these rules made more and more sense. They were designed to only protect the person riding the bike, and nothing more. Two wheels are always more dangerous than four, and every accident on a bike has the potential to be life threatening.

Yet it has become commonplace to see motorcyclists completely flaunting these rules, and weaving in and out of traffic on a regular basis.

Many will stubbornly drive in the right lane, or change lanes without prior indication or even a glance back to see whether there is enough space for them to make the turn in the first place. Yet if these incidents are pointed out, or if an accident with a car takes place, most motorcyclists are reluctant to accept the blame.

The traffic police have recently cracked down on phone usage while driving, as well as driving without a license and these are both commendable initiatives, long overdue. However, they should now turn their attention to the menace of motorcyclists who seem to be getting worse with every passing day. Soon their destructive habits will have become the norm, and further exacerbate the traffic situation further.

SALMAN RAFIQUE

Sheikhupura

Published in Daily Times, July 11^th 2018.