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NEWS
Hatzoloh Chairman: Poor Road Safety Leads to Preventable Accidents, Especially During Bein Hazmanim
By M. Ochayun
"Surprisingly, though our sector is aware of the commandment of `venishmartem lenafshoseichem,' there are quite a number of people who ignore their conscience and say that they have trust in the Borei Yisborach, and therefore fail to relate seriously to traffic laws and safety guidelines, in direct contradiction to the Torah's commandment ` Venishmartem lenafshoseichem ,'" says Rabbi Zeev Kashash, chairman of Ichud Hatzoloh, whose many volunteers respond on a daily basis to accident scenes around the country, typically as a result of speeding and poor driving.
"Sometimes people are lax in fastening seat belts, confident that `it'll be all right.' Many drivers do not follow directives, driving a family car not in proper working order, taking the entire family on trips that involve several hours of driving. This type of father endangers himself and his family," he explains.
Rabbi Kashash says in recent years, bein hazmanim has become more and more dangerous. "Dozens of rented cars and vans are driven by drivers who haven't sat behind the wheel since bein hazmanim the previous year! These drivers lack experience in proper road safety and typically they embark on long trips to the North on twisting roads and potentially dangerous routes, especially for those whose road skills are inadequate.
"Every year very serious accidents take place during this time period, generally involving new or young drivers who undertake a heavy responsibility by taking an entire family on a trip during bein hazmanim. We still remember the terrible accident a year and a half ago when some young men rented a jeep and the bitter results affected entire families, with the loss of four bochurim and one who was seriously injured.
"Parents, who are responsible for chinuch habonim, must watch over their loved ones, especially during the dangerous period of bein hazmanim, and not wait for a tragedy that can destroy a whole family for years, along with deep sorrow.
"Today the mainstream media runs powerful road safety campaigns that really shake people up, in addition to billboard ads. Yet our sector, which includes numerous children bli ayin hora, is not exposed to most of these ads, which appear in unsuitable media, and therefore we do not receive enough information on this very important issue of safeguarding our lives."
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