I WAS concerned on reading the article, 'They swear, struggle
and refuse blood tests' (ST, May14).
It is clear that although intoxicated, some drivers are still lucid
enough to switch seats with their passengers before reaching a
police road block, but are not willing to let the other driver take
the wheel in the first place.
Perhaps it is just too comfortable in a car today.
Drivers feel safe, cloaked in a cocoon of anonymity inside their
cars, and have scant regard for the safety of other motorists and
pedestrians.
For those who think they can do whatever they like as long as they
do not get caught, perhaps shaming them is the only way to make
them more responsible.
Just as people who litter are given corrective work orders as
punishment and made to wear bright orange jackets to shame them,
errant drivers should be similarly shamed.
Here's how:
The offending driver should have a 50cm bright orange sticker
pasted on his door. It should display a mugshot of the driver,
information about his traffic offence, the penalty and demerit
points, and a 1-800 number clearly visible so that the offender can
be reported should he be seen driving badly again.
Apart from this sticker on his door, there should also be one on
his car bonnet, as well as one at the back of his vehicle.
These stickers will serve to warn other drivers to be mindful
around this driver, just as rookie drivers need to have the
red-and-yellow tag on display when they drive. Taxi drivers should
not be exempt from this shaming punishment.
The other important aspect of this punishment is to curtail the
performance of the car driven by an offender.
The easiest way to do this is to have ultra skinny temporary spare
tyres installed for all four wheels. These tyres are good for up to
80kmh, which is close to the legal limit anyway.
As these rims are often painted in bright yellow or orange, they
will serve as a visible and clear signal that this driver is a
traffic offender.
The cost of the three stickers and the set of temporary tyres
should form part of the punishment meted out to the traffic
offender.
The idea is to get drivers to realise that they are responsible for
their behaviour on the road.
I hope the authorities will take steps to let other road users know
who the recalcitrant drivers are.
Lee Chen-Chung
Straits Times 19 May
