January 2006

In my line of work, I get to meet people... ...lots of people. I am in the privileged position of meeting people in their own homes.
Judging by the manner, personality and general kindness of my customers, the vast majority of the local community are beautiful people. They are kind, considerate and generally a very good-natured bunch.
If I were to judge the state of our society, by the customers I meet, I would come to the conclusion that our society is doing well.

When I'm working, however, I also spend much of my time driving on the roads of North Tyneside and Newcastle. Although I do see the occasional considerate or thoughtful driver, the vast majority are selfish, pushy, inconsiderate and often rude.
If I were to judge the state of our society by the way people drive on the roads, I am forced to the conclusion that we are doomed.

As soon as we start driving on the roads, our real personality, and our mood-of-the-hour, come to the surface. All our very best, and all our very worst, attributes are suddenly laid bare for all the world to see... ...and it's not always a pretty sight.

Do we suddenly change personality when we find ourselves behind the wheel of a vehicle?

Is it our true state of being that takes over?

If it's our true state of being - and I strongly think it is - we need to be deeply concerned about what we are repressing within ourselves.

Quite recently, I was chatting with someone who I consider to be one of the most mild-mannered and considerate people I know.
I happened to mention my more frequent journeys through the Tyne Tunnel, since my daughter Georgina's engagement to Glyn (who lives in Bishop Auckland).

Immediately this normally mild mannered person became quite vocal. They sympathised with me, as they travel that same route quite regularly.

Along with all the other problems associated with driving South via the Tyne Tunnel, they were complaining about speed sensors which cause "SLOW DOWN" signs to flash overhead.

I had to admit that, although other people had also mentioned them, I had never seen any flashing signs in the Tyne Tunnel.

They became quite animated, insisting that the flashing signs were always there becoming rather annoyed when I suggested to them that perhaps this was because they were always speeding and I wasn't.

The conversation took an interesting turn and became a road safety 'discussion'.

It was argued that driving slightly too fast wasn't really dangerous under normal conditions. It was even suggested that speeding was punished too severely and speed-cameras were an abomination.

One correct fact, however, did come to light: There are now fewer 'deaths-on-the-road' per 'cars-on-the-road' than ever before.

Why, then, are people perplexed when I tell them that I find that totally unacceptable?

For too many years now the easy-to-say term 'death-on-the-roads' has become the phrase that we have become 'comfortable' with, while avoiding the true meaning of what we are actually talking about.

As a supposed civilised country we seem to cope with tragic deaths in a very strange way.

Six people tragically die in a rail disaster, and there is a public outcry.

Fifty two people die in a vicious set of terrorist bomb attacks in London and the country mourns.

Yet the tragic death of over 3,000 people goes by almost unnoticed.

You see, every year, we suffer from our own '9/11'.

Every year, in this country, the same number of people die, in the same tragic and brutal way that the victims of the '9/11 terrorist attack' did.

Over 3,000 tragic deaths.

So, the next time we find ourselves complaining about speed-cameras...

The next time we're in a car going too fast because we're late...

The next time we slip through traffic lights when they are on amber...

The next time we find ourselves saying "Oh it'll be OK this time!" as we park on yellow lines, obscuring the view for other traffic...

Let us remember the 3,000 or more people who have died most horrible deaths over the past year.

Let us remember people who have died by having their bodies battered, squashed, burnt, crushed or even torn apart.

Let us remember their families, their friends, their loved ones and countless others who's lives are wrecked directly, or indirectly, due to such tragic losses.

Let us remember the policemen and policewomen faced with attending the mutilated remains of what used to be human being before they died.

Let us remember the paramedics and ambulance drivers, who desperately try to keep the faint flame of life alight in the disfigured frame of the people they try to save.

Let us remember the theatre staff and the surgeons as they struggle to repair patients who's bodies have been vandalised by the vicious impact of tonnes of speeding metal.

And finally, let us remember those who will suffer long term, or even permanent, mental anguish and trauma, having watched - from the warmth and comfort of their driving seat, someone die a most horrible death.

I pray to God that you will never ever be any of the above...

...but most of all, I pray that you will never ever be the last.

God loves you - and so do I,