Killer on the road

A few years ago, a friend — a highly qualified safety professional, road safety instructor, and driver trainer — contacted a driving school to inquire about obtaining a heavy vehicle driving license.

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The first question from the person who answered the phone was: “Sir, do you want to get a license, or do you want to learn to drive?”

Perplexed, my friend replied, “I want to learn to drive.”

He attended his first lesson, and after a short drive, the instructor said: “Sir, you can drive. Please come to the RMV (Registrar of Motor Vehicles) on this date. We will arrange a vehicle for you.”

On the designated date, he was handed a sheet of paper with a list of numbers and corresponding letters (e.g., 1-C, 2-D). When he asked what this meant, he was told:

“These are the answers to the questions you'll get today. Just memorise them.”

This is how many of our heavy vehicle and passenger-carrying vehicle drivers obtain their licenses.

It should then come as no surprise that heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and passenger-carrying vehicles (PCVs) account for an alarmingly high number of road deaths. While motorcycles caused the highest number of fatalities — 1,443 in 2022 — there are nearly five million motorcycles and scooters on our roads, compared with just 385,706 HGVs and 113,268 buses and PCVs, which together caused 771 deaths.

That’s an extremely high fatality rate for vehicles that are supposed to be operated by professional drivers.

When adjusted for vehicle population (per one million vehicles), trucks, HGVs, buses, and PCVs emerge as the most dangerous vehicles on our roads.

Narcotics and incentives: A deadly cocktail

Why do passenger buses drive so aggressively?

Most assume drivers are racing for fun. In reality, they are racing to survive. Bus owners set income and arrival-time targets. Salaries and allowances are tied directly to these metrics. If drivers are late, they lose income. As a result, they risk everything — their passengers, pedestrians, even their own lives — just to earn a full paycheck.