Hazardous hazard lights
Dear Editor,
Users of the roads in Jamaica are not known to be the most courteous or the most responsible.
Too often motorists blatantly disregard the basic rules of the road, which not only put their lives in danger, but also that of others. If I were to attempt to list the flagrant violations of the law that I have observed during my daily round-town trips, I would probably need the entire page.
A common practice, of which I believe many motorists are ignorant, is the improper use of the hazard lights. Though the road code provides limited use of this feature, which is found in all motor vehicles, I am quite certain it cannot justify the illegal and dangerous practice of coming to an abrupt stop in the middle of the road. Nevertheless, this is a regular habit of taxi and bus operators who want to allow passengers to exit or enter their vehicles. Such action will inevitably put drivers, who are given little to no warning, at risk.
The hazard lights cannot and should not be used for this as they were never meant to be used as a signal for randomly stopping in the middle of the road, to the detriment of others going about their business.
Mikhail A Graham
mikhailgraham@yahoo.com