LETTERS: THE recent death of three Pakistanis who were struck by a motorist on the Teluk Intan-Bidor road was heartbreaking.
The three friends were walking to perform their Hari Raya Aidilfitri prayers at a mosque when a driver lost control of his vehicle, skidded onto the road shoulder and rammed the victims.
Three others were severely injured. The 36-year-old car driver tested positive for cannabis.
What was supposed to be a bright new dawn of Raya celebrations turned into tragedy for the victims due to the recklessness of a driver who was high on drugs.
Last month, a woman, 36, was killed when the car she was travelling in with four others crashed into a tree stump on the road shoulder at Km8 of Jalan Jerantut-Temerloh.
In February, a lorry driver, 66, died after he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the road shoulder at Km71 of Jalan Batu Pahat-Mersing.
The driver was transporting palm oil to Kluang from Mersing.
I have also seen many cyclists on trunk roads, especially on the Seremban-Kuala Klawang and Mambau-Port Dickson roads.
These cyclists ride in single file and keep to the side of the road, but with many vehicles also on the route, I fear for their safety.
Most of these roads are narrow and have bends, and it's risky to cycle on these roads. Hopefully, cyclists avoid trunk roads for their own safety.
Looking at the death of the three Pakistanis, pedestrians on the road shoulder are also not safe with reckless drivers behind the wheels.
Whether pedestrians or cyclists, quite a few have lost their lives and limbs. Being on the road can be a matter of life and death.
Thus, being aware of safety is paramount at all times, even when one is just walking or cycling on the road shoulder.
SAMUEL YESUIAH
Seremban, Negri Sembilan
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times