We deserve more than thoughts and prayers

Renato Marques

The recent death of a 10-year-old schoolboy after being hit by a car while crossing the road at a crosswalk in Macau has prompted the public to speak out about the many traffic-related issues in Macau.

Although the issue is not new, this unfortunate event seems to have finally made the cup overflow for many, prompting calls for more and better protection for pedestrians and road users in general, who feel that the streets and roads of Macau are generally unsafe.

Although ignited by this incident, the topic extends far beyond this tragic moment and goes even further than the issue of crosswalks, which has been debated here and there for years without a clear solution.

The issue is that, beyond the clear and obvious personal responsibility of the driver, there is also a very significant political responsibility behind this and the many other accidents, which cannot be simply washed away by messages of thoughts and prayers from the bureaus.

The problem of vehicles not stopping for pedestrians at crosswalks in Macau is as old as the hills, and sometimes only Lady Luck can explain how some accidents are avoided.

When questioned about the “distraction” of drivers who “do not see” that a road is splitting into multiple lanes and who crash straight ahead into barriers, roadwork signs, parking lot pillars, vehicles that have stopped in front of them, and people on crosswalks, the authorities seem to avoid the topic of the use of mobile phones and other electronic devices while driving.

They do not deny that this is an issue; they just seem to prefer to focus on the “distraction” rather than address its causes.

Still, as most road users will readily tell you, the use of mobile devices while driving is almost the norm; playing and sending voice messages, texting, playing games, and even watching movies or social media reels are very common practices, easily observed by anyone with enough patience to stand on the roadside and watch traffic go by.

This practice takes on an even more complex form when we see it carried out by taxi drivers, bus drivers, and other professionals who “should know better.”

But unfortunately, this is not the only issue; there is a clear and obvious problem with traffic in Macau. The less distracted can observe drivers with physical and psychological limitations and impairments on the road; some can’t see, others can’t hear, and some seem to be on a different planet, lost in their thoughts or maybe under the influence of impairment-causing drugs of all kinds.

In addition to the collision with a pedestrian, we have seen, just in the recent weeks, drivers reversing vehicles on bridges (because they missed their exits), drivers hitting other cars and motorcycles that stop at crosswalks to give way to pedestrians, food delivery scooter riders who ride at road speeds on pedestrian sidewalks, people riding motorcycles without helmets, and much more, including pedestrians who roam around streets and roads like they are walking in the park.

In the meantime, penalties are said to be too lenient and to have no deterrent effect, which, when combined with the lack of inspection and supervision by the authorities, makes Macau’s roads a true “Wild East.”