The only way to improve the safety on our roads is to have stricter punishment for driving offenders. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
ESSAY #171 FROM OUR BOOK
It is believed that sterner punishment for violators of traffic rules is the only way to decrease accidents on roads. While I believe that traffic violators should be punished strictly, I disagree that stricter punishment for those violating the law is the only solution for ensuring road safety.
Admittedly, reckless driving, speeding and breach of traffic rules by careless drivers can cause accidents. Therefore, a more stringent punishment for drivers would be an effective measure to make roads safer. It would deter people from violating traffic rules such as jumping the red light and over-speeding. This would be a step towards road safety.
However, there are many other factors which cause road accidents, and it is equally essential to deal with them to improve road safety. To begin with, poor road condition is considered a major reason for road casualties. For example, narrow roads and sharp curves often force even law-abiding drivers to make mistakes. Therefore, drivers alone cannot be blamed for such mishaps and giving them stricter punishments in these cases is no solution
Furthermore, poor climate conditions can be a major cause of accidents. For instance, poor visibility due to dense mist and rain, slippery roads on account of snowfall make driving difficult and cause serious accidents in many countries. Stricter punishment for drivers is a futile exercise in handling such problems. Modern technological innovations should be used to deal with such emergency situations.
In summary, while punishing drivers with heavier penalties would reduce accidents, there are certain situations where drivers are not responsible for accidents, and so other effective measures should also be taken.
