Leonard: Drive responsibly,
stop focusing on wooden rails
PHILIPSBURG--Police spokesman Chief Inspector Johan “Janchi” Leonard has asked the question: “What will it take to get motorists to be more responsible while driving on the road?” This was in reaction to concerns raised via The Daily Herald regarding wooden guardrails on Sucker Garden Road.
He said, “Guardrails, whether wooden or metal, are installed for a purpose and we cannot simply request the removal of these types of infrastructure to accommodate the bad driving practice of motorists.”
Leonard said the real danger lay in motorists exceeding the legal speed limit. At least six accidents have occurred on that stretch of road leading into Sucker Garden since the beginning of this year, with vehicles pierced by broken wooden guardrails as a consequence. One such accident resulted in the death of a Jamaican man.
In Sucker Garden, the wooden guardrails are for beautification. Guardrails commonly used for public roads are made of steel. As a rule, guardrails are generally installed to protect motorists and pedestrians. They are often installed alongside roads on hills or in areas with pedestrian tracks to prevent motorists from crossing pedestrian paths.
While the metal guardrails are stronger for this purpose, they also have their disadvantage in that when cars slam into metal rails, they bounce off and often cause damage to other vehicles.
Many years ago, A.J.C. Brouwer Road on the hill to Cole Bay had metal pipes welded together as guardrails, but the end result was that whenever a car slammed into the rail, the car would roll over the hillside. When standard guardrails were installed, this problem was averted.
Leonard said, “It must be made clear that when motorists drive recklessly they don’t focus on people’s lives, and that the wooden guardrail itself does not pose a threat.”
He said: “Yes, the metal guardrails would eliminate this form of accident, but all rails have their pros and cons, and the one constant is the need for motorists to be more respectful of the traffic laws.”
Leonard said, “It may well be that guardrails are the best thing, but our focus as police is safety, and in keeping with the need for safety, motorists are being urged to start exercising more caution when driving on public roads, because the life you save may be your own.”
