Please do not speed on the highways

I averted two near major accidents because I did not speed.

After the minor ‘wing mirror’ accident, on Thursday night, I nearly crashed into a dark, tall and long trailer which was doing a big U-turn slowly in front of the open space of the quarry just before the junction to Menglembu on the Ipoh-Lumut highway. I was on my way to Ipoh from Batu Gajah.

Just imagine seeing these two headlights from far and just twenty feet away, I saw the side of the trailer which occupied the whole of the road as well as the open space in front of the quarry! Had I been speeding, I could have smashed right into it and ended up as a statistic in a road accident.

Last night, after fetching Cheng from KLIA and had dinner with a sister-in-law and her husband, we headed for home.

Before the journey, my SIL joked that the two ‘pigs’ (born in the year) are of no help to you because they would be sleeping all the way. I was prepared to drive myself all the way but, age is catching up, and before Tapah, I felt sleepy. I decided to stop for a drink alone. I had tea, which costed Rm1.30. In retrospect, this break saved myself from a lot of trouble and possibly grief.

After getting off the North-South Expressway at Gopeng exit, (pleasantly surprised at the 10% discount after midnight), we continued on the federal old route until the junction to BG. This road leading to BG had been widened and improved fairly recently. But only certain stretches are lit, alternating with those unlit. As I was driving along the unlit stretch, just a few feet away, suddenly I saw a herd of buffaloes right in front! I quickly applied emergency brakes but had to swerve instead to avoid and the car turned right heading to the high kerb of the divider of the dual carriageway. Because of the sudden jerks, the car bounced from side to side and had woken my two passengers. SP screamed, ‘KS?!’ By then I managed to stop the car from smashing into the divider and turned it back on track. Another close shave and I am beginning to wonder if this had anything to do with the 714 superstitions believed by some Chinese. Again, I am saved by the fact that I did not speed. Only recently, I witnessed the aftermath of an accident which involved buffaloes at the Lahat/Pusing junction of the Ipoh-Lumut highway.Two buffaloes could be seen dead on the road sides and two badly damaged vehicles flung away from the road while the police and ambulances were already at the scene.

While we should drive carefully and within speed limits, the buffalo owners need to keep their herd from the roads and highways. Poor enforcement?

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