Boys are dying on motorcycles in droves, but who is to blame?

 

By the time we had sold all the sacks of potatoes, dusk had set in. We packed our goods and made for home. The floodlights shone brightly in the gathering darkness.

Home was far away and we needed to hurry. We knew that the potato sales was to cater for our education and basic needs. We were negotiating the last corner to our mud-thatched house when we came face-to-face with an angry mob.

Two boys lay helplessly by the roadside. Tomatoes were scattered all over the road, and two mangled motorcycles completed the picture of what seemed to be a bad accident. Passers-by gawked at the grim scene.

The boys, who were later confirmed to be riding the motorcycles while drunk and under the influence of drugs, collided head-on. They were said to have been speeding, and one of them was flung on impact into a pedestrian who was carrying a sack of tomatoes.

Many such incidents are happening in our towns and villages since schools were closed. Some people blame parents while parents point an accusing finger at teachers. Trading blame and scapegoating is what makes us fail. Individual responsibility can drastically reduce cases of youth indiscipline in our society.

The education curriculum instils good morals in us. A wise person once said: “Manners maketh the man”.

As children, we are rightfully taught that drug abuse is harmful to our health. It impairs judgment and leads to bad decisions. 

Such acts should be highly discouraged and condemned, especially during school holidays.
Motorcycle owners, especially parents, can rightfully be blamed for the accidents since children do not own such assets.

Most pupils or students have never been to driving schools and do not possess driving licences. So why would you adults give them cars and motorcycles to operate on public roads, including highways?

As children, we should make good use of the vacation by adding value to skills learnt in school through utilising talents and reading useful materials.  BY DAILY NATION