Who is the killer on the road?

Don’t save the brake pad!
Who is the killer on the road?
Don’t look surprised…the answer is: you. You, the man behind the wheel. Yes, you, the man in the mirror…you are the cause of the road accidents in Oman (if the below description fits you, that is).
Yes, you and your don’t care attitude has killed many, maimed plenty and is going to kill and maim more.
This stubborn, devil-may-care attitude and arrogance of yours has left many a disabled. Even in the vast, empty deserts of Oman, one cannot escape an accident. A recent tale (however tall it may sound) is that two cars plundered into each other on a vast desertscape because either of the driver would not veer off their track and give way for the other!
At the other end, sources hint on a research done long ago, which found out that some drivers on the road actually avoid braking because it cost them money (replacing worn out brake pads). In short, they are willing to save their brake pad at the cost of innocent lives on the road…

Well, this is no longer a joke and we have reached breaking point in trying to escape and avoid the daily hazards on the road, which are mounting. So, let us stop blaming others, the authorities concerned and the roads and focus on changing ourselves, our attitude(s).

For, attitude is found to be the main cause of accidents, especially among the young drivers. Black & White has identified eight drivers: eight mistakes! These eight drivers have one victim: The simple, innocent and responsible driver! We have minutely fleshed the eight characters down below. But, not to poke fun at them, only to first expose them and then plead with them to stop behaving thus. And if you find some resemblance in these drivers and you, then, time to change…time to change the man staring back at you in the mirror…


1. Show off
He has a typical ‘king-on-the-road-devil-may-care’ attitude. He cannot control the urge to show off his driving skills, especially to the fairer sex!
He has only one small car, his own. But, he has a giant-sized ego that will not let him accept the fact that there are better cars on the road. He will not sit down and take it if a car overtakes him or makes him bite their dust. He needs to teach them a lesson and he will do it, even if it is going to cost his life. Insecure and a cross with an inflated ego and deflated complex, therefore needing a driving outlet for his pent-up emotions!

2. Selfish
It is all about him. His time, his car, his destination, his road(s)! He is brimming with impatience and thinks that he is the only busy man on the road. He needs to overtake, speed and reach his destination before anyone else. He jumps queues, but will not permit anyone else. He will block them all. He is good at signals, especially flashing lights from behind! Tailgating is his other past time! It is only ‘me-me-me’ on the road. Even his horn sounds like that!

3. Stupid
He is not stupid, stupid. He is actually Mr Know-It-All on the road. But, unfortunately, he makes wrong calculations and has no common sense. He thinks he can pass the signal in green, but his judgment is not as accurate as the speed in which the signal turns red, so well, he screeches to a halt but not before others hit him or his tyres burst! He is the one who keeps jumping signals.

4. Shallow
His driving knowledge and skills are as superficial as his desire to drive. How did he get his license? By fluke or by crook or by luck! He is a good driver when everything is okay, but at the smallest hint of a challenge, he is exposed; he breaks down; causes commotion and hits! He drives because everyone else does and yes, he needs that job!

5. Silly
His car is a little toy that he has not grown out of; it is his tent, full with camping gear; it is his second home and it is more of a living-cum-dining room than a vehicle on the road. He eats, drinks, listens to music (from a blasting i-pod) and speaks at will on his slippery mobile, which keeps slipping off like a live fish. At times, he is more agile and acrobatic than a circus clown, balancing a soft drink on one hand, a sandwich on the other, at the same steering his vehicle in a busy street. He is more focussed on what goes inside his car, than the busy traffic outside.

6. Stingy
He is penny wise and pound foolish. He thinks he saves money when he buys secondhand tyres or refuses to change his brake pads. Well, who cares? Who is going to check if his car is serviced or not? He would rather save his money and rather waste other people’s time and money! All he needs is to be mobile always, so don’t fix it and forget it!

7. Sizzler
Yes, he literally sizzles on the road, dancing to the tunes of his raging hormones. He is the hyper ping pong ball type, zipping from point A to B for no rhyme or reason… he has got his driving license only yesterday and he is bubbling over with enthu. He has to be here, there and everywhere. Why do you get a driving license? To store it in a cupboard and to park your car in your garage? Get a life, brother!

8. Stuck
To be or not to be… should I or should I not? Flyover or the roundabout? Left or right? Hit or not to hit! To turn or not to turn? To brake or not to brake… God help us for he should not be driving at all! He is driving challenged, and his uncertainty is killing…

Do any of the portraits resemble you? Is there one negative trait listed above that is akin to your own?
If so, you are the one who is preying on the ninth type of driver on the road:

9. The victim
He is the responsible, safe driver, the one who cares for his family, himself and follows the road rules and is organized. But he has no control over the other eight dominant types! So, he always ends up being the victim!
So, as part of this New Year, let this become our resolution. Let us take a pledge, today, now to STOP being a SHOW OFF, SELFISH, STUPID, SHALLOW, SILLY, STINGY, STUCK, SIZZLER driver! Let us act on it! Let us apply the brakes on such killer attitudes and let us drive safe in this 2010 and beyond. Let us reduce the death and accident rate on the Oman roads and so mark it on your calendar; start today, instead of tomorrow. Let us dedicate at least one day in a week to stop making these eight (or more) violations. Let us not be a killer or a victim, let us, by changing ourselves, bring about a safe and accident-free Oman! Let us!


By Adarsh Madhavan, Priya Arunkumar, Najib al balushi