OPINION

Driving tragedy

Re: "7 Charges for motorcycle cop who killed pedestrian", (BP, Jan 25). The tragic and unnecessary death last week of the young eye doctor illustrates, yet again, the dismissive and irresponsible attitude of drivers, evident daily, to road conditions and signage, in particular pedestrian crossings and traffic lights.

When faced with such conditions, it is the responsibility of drivers to slow down and prepare to stop, and not ignore them as inconvenient obstacles.

I weep for the poor young lady and her family, and the pathetic excuses designed to mitigate the fatality. The traffic policeman deserves to lose his job and face a charge of manslaughter. Anything less would be a gross injustice and an insult to the bereaved family. Thailand can ill-afford to lose such talented medical professionals.

A change in driving culture, education and testing is long overdue in Thailand to reduce the unacceptable accident statistics. This should be a national priority. Incidentally, are traffic policemen now authorised to drive unregistered, high-powered, imported motorcycles on duty? Road traffic commanders: Do your job!

Re: "7 Charges for motorcycle cop who killed pedestrian", (BP, Jan 25), and "When zebra crossings become death traps", (Opinion, Jan 25).

Dr Waraluck Supawatjariyakul, a young ophthalmologist whose promising nascent career was cut short by a motorcycle driven by a policeman is a tragedy of indescribable proportions.

The young policeman has been charged with seven offences, and according to media reports he has confessed to them all.

But he is still entitled to his day in court.

The minute details of his "alleged" offence contained in your report, and the opinions expressed in Atiya Achakulwisut's column compromise that.

And that is not to mention Channel 3 TV, which tonight spent more than 30 minutes going over the situation in even more detail, including graphic video reconstructions of the motorbike speeding through the pedestrian crossing.

Its broadcast also showed the policeman in his newly ordained robes of a monk to make merit for the deceased, being hounded by a hoard of media thrusting television cameras and radio microphones into his face (which ironically, even though he was wearing a mask, was pixelated).

The legal system can save the expense of his trial. The media has already declared him guilty and now all the judge has to do is determine the sentence.

Re: "Trump era mental health toll", (Opinion, Jan 24).

Yes, indeed, the ugliness of partisan politics in America is turning it into an awful place. Democracy and effective governance are on the decline, thanks to the impotence of elected politicians in the House and the Senate. Most of these politicians are millionaires; the richest among them is Sen Rick Scott, a Republican from Florida with assets worth more than $200 million. And, of course, business people like Donald Trump believe that American democracy is for sale. The recent rejection of the passage of the Voting Right Bill in the US is a good indicator of partisan gridlock in a country that is supposed to be a shining example of "government of the people, by the people and for the people".

In some ways, Thai democracy also suffers from a similar ambient climate of unending controversies, contradictions, corruption, divisions, chaos and dysfunction.

Luckily, Thai people throng to the nearest wat to rid themselves of mental fatigue and hardships brought by the political and economic crisis; nobody knows if Thai people are ready for the next elections?