March 24, 2014

Dear Sir,

I feel I have to write a letter in reply to the letter titled ‘Teach them a lesson’, in the Saturday March 22, 2014 edition of your newspaper. For the writer to suggest that motorcyclists should be fined at a higher rate than other vehicles on our roads, is simply prejudiced. Yes, I totally agree that there are a lot of selfish, irresponsible and reckless motorcyclist on our roads, but I believe there are just as many in other vehicles as there are on motorcycles. I would love to know if this writer rides a bike, in good and bad weather? Because if you were on a bike, within a week, you would see vehicles look at you, while exciting a gate and still pull out into you. Also vehicles halfway out of the gate trying to enter the traffic (try that one in the US!). Or vehicles coming at you on the wrong side of the road. What about vehicles running quite fast through puddles and engulfing the motorcyclist in dirty water that blinds them and burns their eyes. The difference with motorcyclist driving carelessly and the motorist doing the same. The motorist can kill, easily, when they use bad behaviour on the roads, there isn’t any protection against a large heavy vehicle, for a motorcyclist. So I believe everyone should be fined equally.

I think we need to get rid of the speed limit altogether. Fine and arrest people for dangerous and careless riding and driving. I think as long as the speed keeps the traffic running smoothly, that’s fine. But if you have someone who is going much faster or slower than the traffic, they need to be fined. If a vehicle is coming too fast on the road for an exiting vehicle to see it, then that vehicle that is travelling fast, would be considered dangerous and be fined. If passing vehicles in a dangerous manner, also should be fined. Any vehicle that is causing traffic not to flow, such as stopping for too many cars to exit a gate. Stopping, when they should be moving forward, because the right-of-way is theirs, should be considered reckless. Simply put, using common sense and common courtesy on the road. And not blaming others for all the problems on the roads. We all have to play our part to make the roads safe and keep them safe.

Just remember if we discourage people from riding bikes, just how much traffic back up we would end up having!

RIDER, DRIVER AND PASSENGER

Pembroke West