Watch out! The road's a playground this time around!

Hurry! Pack your bags, not forgetting your toothbrush and shavers for your legs, and leave your house! Holidays had just got its kick start!

The highways were jam packed with all sorts of vehicles driven by all sorts of people in all sorts of direction to all sorts of destinations. It’s like Bill Gates is throwing out his life savings money to us Sarawakians and everyone is on lookout for its dropout whereabouts. No matter how life threatening it will be.

The climax of any racing competition, be it the Moto GP, Formula One, Nascar or ‘Mat Rempit’ is often the crash involved, or at least any ‘near-miss’ accidents.

I was driving along the highway to Kuching last Friday, which fortunately falls on a public holiday and my eyes observed many occurences where it seemed to be the advent of a major catastrophe. Cars chasing each other as if they were cop chase scenes, where only the criminals are pursued by enraged road users. Like me.

Men are driven by an inexplicably crazy ego where it makes them the king of the road. It would be alright if there was only one person sitting on the throne, but when everyone starts to wear the crown, we all can expect hell to break lose.

Especially when it's the festive season, such as the upcoming Gawai Dayak festival, whereby everyone is taking this early holiday the chance to go back to their ‘kampung’ sooner than the festival. We all are oppurtunists when it comes to holiday. The earlier we depart, the longer will the holiday lasts.

No one likes long lines. Queing up in banks, lining up behind the cashier or at the back of a long traffic. All are susceptible to people cutting lines, infuriating everyone except the felon.

Human desire seeks danger. Risks. For the thrill of it. Fundamentally speaking, there is no wrong overtaking in road, but when it gives a sudden large infusion of adrenaline rush, something is bound to happen, good or bad. Super cars just managed to overtake and miss the oncoming traffic just in the nick of time, cars following inches behind at 100 km/h , motorcyclist accelerating in the middle of the road to slice in between both sides of traffic, all this are exciting to watch, if it’s a circus show.

Drivers are good, but they are not safe. Road accidents do not only happen to those who do not abide by the rules, but those who believes too much in special effects that allow cars to sustain heavy damage or posess the technologies of a batmobile.

It is the holiday, but that’s not the golden ticket for us to rush off to our hometowns, not caring for the safety of other road users. Festivals and holidays bring people together to celebrate with joy and laughter, not spending some lousy afternoon mourning over the fact that you should have not overtook that motorcyclist with a basket of paddies on his back.

Drive safe. It is for the good of your family and loved ones. Don’t let the rice wine ruin your future. Drink only the day before you drive and have a good night rest before you depart back to your self-implied hectic life.

Happy holidays everyone.