Sankofaonline Editorial: December 29, 2025.
Every tragedy on our roads forces us to confront a truth we often avoid: most fatal crashes are not accidents in the pure sense of the word. They are the predictable consequences of choices , choices made in haste, in impatience, in carelessness, or in the belief that “it won’t happen to me.”
Speeding has become a silent epidemic. Too many drivers treat highways as personal racetracks, forgetting that a vehicle in motion is a machine capable of irreversible harm. Self‑discipline behind the wheel is no longer optional; it is a moral obligation. The difference between life and death is often a single decision , to slow down, to wait, to think.
But discipline alone is not enough. Our roads must speak clearly to us. Broken‑down vehicles must be marked with visible, reflective signage, not left in darkness like traps waiting for the next unsuspecting driver. A stalled car should never become a coffin because someone failed to place a warning triangle or hazard marker. These are simple acts of responsibility that save lives.
Authorities, too, must rise to the moment. Tow trucks should not wait for tragedy before responding. Abandoned or disabled vehicles must be removed swiftly and without hesitation. And yes , owners must be held accountable. They should be required to pay towing, storage, and administrative fees, not as punishment, but as a reminder that public safety is a shared duty, not a favor.
Because when a vehicle is left unattended on the shoulder, when a driver speeds through the night without caution, when a warning sign is never placed , the cost is not measured in fines. It is measured in families shattered, futures stolen, and communities left grieving.
We cannot continue like this.
We cannot normalize preventable loss.
We cannot keep burying loved ones because of avoidable negligence.
If we want safer roads, then every driver, every authority, every citizen must embrace a simple truth:
Lives are saved not by luck, but by responsibility , and the courage to act before tragedy strikes.
