[Pic from Exoleb.com]
I saw on TV this morning the launch of a new initiative, The Roads for life initiative funded by the Talal Kassem Fund for Post Accident Care. [Website Not yet launched]
Talal Kassem is the grandson of Adnan Kassar, a prominent Lebanese businessman, who was killed when a raging driver hit him on the corniche road in front of IC. [Gino’s]
The initiative aims at raising awareness on driving safely, enhancing our rotten traffic laws and most importantly increasing chances of survival for accident victims in the crucial 60 minutes after trauma. For that purpose, the foundation will provide Advanced Trauma Life Support courses to Red Cross volunteers and ER doctors and caregivers from across Lebanon.
That is indeed a great initiative, and hopefully will lower the risk of fatalities from accidents. However, I wish that those organizations, such as Roads for life and Kunhadi, knowing that they are well funded, take their actions to the streets by forming awareness checkpoints, or collaborating with the ISF in spotting drunk people driving out of Gemmayze for example, fixing the Zekrit blind turn that killed more than 12 people since the beginning of 2011, and other minor actions that are practical and will materialize in a lower accidents rate.
Increasing awareness by spreading billboards all over the country is not what will keep Lebanese drivers from speeding. There are a zillion things that could help lower accidents which I will gladly suggest to those organizations if they are willing to do them.
Nevertheless, one cannot but salute those behind such initiatives for raising awareness and being socially responsible and doing the job our government should be doing.