Be safe and happy during Chinese New Year

WE will enter the Year of the Dragon on Saturday.

For the Chinese community, the Chinese New Year is about returning home for a reunion dinner, meeting their loved ones and catching up with memories of old, or even perhaps, planning for a new one.

For the other communities it is an opportunity to join in the festivity by visiting Chinese friends or to simply using the holiday to return to their hometowns; they too, will reunite with family members and loved ones.

In last year’s Chinese New Year, some 3.8 million vehicles took to highways in the balik kampung rush, as it is almost customary during every major festival such Hari Raya and Christmas.

However, 15,999 road accident cases were recorded during Chinese New Year in 2023. It was an increase of 41% compared to 2022.

Worse, a total of 121 fatal accidents killing 134 people were also recorded during the same period last year compared to 108 accidents, of which 119 were killed in 2022. That was an increase of 12% or 13 cases.

This year, we should strive to decrease the number of accidents and possibly, fatalities, during the exodus.

We can do so by paying more attention when handling the wheel, instead of taking road safety measures for granted.

Human factors such as carelessness, smoking, or mobile phone distractions often cause road accidents. Some motorists have become notorious for texting while driving; seconds of distraction between what is front of you and the phone can lead to a loss of life.

While bad road conditions such as huge potholes can affect the safety of a motorist, nothing beats the human factor when it comes to mitigating the dangers ahead.

Make sure to put on your seat belts, strap your children into child seats and always obey the traffic laws on your Chinese New Year holiday drive.

At the same time, please ensure that your vehicle is roadworthy. The common advice will be to send your vehicle for a service before taking on the long journey.

We should also practice a famous advice that has long become the country’s old adage: “Pandu Cermat Jiwa Selamat”.

And of course, when it comes to enjoying the gatherings of friends and families, be mindful that Covid-19 is still very much a threat, despite the lower number of infection cases.

Experts are advising the people to maintain the prevention standard operating procedures, such as the washing of hands and wearing face masks, if possible.

In this instance, look after the elderly or those from the vulnerable groups in your family. Take the test if you are feeling not well or wear the mask if you have bouts of cough.

These measures are especially important if you are planning to make rounds of visits. These are the new norms that should be in place to prevent any possible outbreak.

We do not want a repeat of Covid-19 cluster hives that used to portend tragedy and deaths during the pandemic not too long ago.

Stay safe. Happy Chinese New Year!