Bulletin - Road Safety: A State of Operational Emergency

For a long time, speed was the demon of Mauritian roads. It seems that this is no longer the case. Driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol is becoming the number one killer.

This shift in danger is at the heart of the problem. It explains why our roads are turning into crime zones where everyone’s fate depends on the state of the other. Since January, 110 people have lost their lives in over a hundred fatal accidents. This amounts to a death every three days. 2,700 drunk drivers and 700 drivers under the influence of drugs have been arrested. Behind these numbers are drivers who get behind the wheel without being in control of their own consciousness, leaving fate to decide the destiny of entire families.

When Carelessness Becomes a Crime

The Minister of Land Transport, Osman Mahomed, is right when he states: "The careless person is a criminal." Carelessness is no longer a marginal behavior. It has taken root. It has become normalized. It is, in itself, a criminal phenomenon on our roads. It is no longer a symptom: it is the disease itself. Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam promises a hard line: seizing the vehicles of drivers under the influence. This is a strong, necessary measure that will deter many before they turn the ignition key. However, it remains insufficient in the face of those who are already under the influence. Those who lose their senses no longer fear the law.

It must be said clearly: you cannot deter a drugged driver with a new amendment. You cannot reason with an anesthetized brain. Punishment after an accident will never bring the victim back. Acting after the tragedy is like serving hot tea to a grieving family: too late, useless, insulting. If we continue to believe that a law passed is enough to save lives, it is merely "after the death, herbal tea." The issue is not to punish after the tragedy. The issue is to prevent the tragedy. We must stop the danger, neutralize it before it kills.

Impunity Corrupts Public Space

Today, many drivers blatantly violate the traffic code because the fear of being caught has disappeared. Police presence has become timid. Cars are seen parked on double yellow lines, rarely penalized. Drivers park their vehicles in the "yellow box," obstructing intersections with total disregard for traffic flow. This is observed daily, even in the city centers, in plain sight of everyone. Police officers may honk, sometimes lecture, but rarely issue tickets. This scene repeats itself every day, feeding a dangerous sentiment: one can transgress without risk.

We can multiply legislative amendments, tighten the code, reinforce sanctions: as long as the fear of police control does not exist, the law is merely an incantation. Repression will not save a single life as long as the police do not act relentlessly and firmly. It must be acknowledged that current checks have become almost harmless rituals: two or three police officers at the same locations, at the same times, often checking the same drivers who are compliant with the law.

Meanwhile, the real threats – urban rodeos, motorcyclists without helmets, or with modified exhausts to make noise, vehicles without "fitness" or registration, drunk or drugged drivers – easily bypass checkpoints. The result: troublemakers drive freely, while our families are left in fear. They should be the primary targets of controls, not women or law-abiding drivers.

A Ground Police Force, Everywhere, All the Time

If we want to save lives and establish discipline, the police must reclaim the streets. This requires firm decisions, enhanced resources, and a radical operational change. The Central Barracks must set up dozens of mixed teams – even a hundred – combining regular police, the Special Support Unit (SSU), and the Fire Service (SMF) that will operate 24/7 across the island, especially in areas where people most violate traffic regulations. These teams must be mobile, unpredictable, and capable of rapid deployment. They should conduct simultaneous, coordinated checks daily, forcing every violator to confront a second, then a third checkpoint.

For motorcyclists fleeing or making dangerous U-turns to avoid checks, there need to be motorized units capable of pursuit, not helpless witnesses. The goal is not to impress: it is to prevent. To immediately neutralize the most lethal behaviors: driving under influence, extreme speed, risky maneuvers. To drastically reduce this sense of impunity that is currently the leading cause of deaths on our roads.

Responsibility is collective, but action must primarily come from the authorities. We need a strong police force that acts without concession or bias. That cracks down on every violator. Whether they are an ordinary citizen, the most influential, an elected official, or someone close to them… An operational state of emergency for the police is imperative.

Enforcing respect for the traffic code and behavioral rules in public spaces is the first step towards a disciplined nation that protects life. It is through these daily actions that the authority of the State is built and that the civility of a people is forged.

Our political leaders love to cite the Singaporean model – its rigor, its order, its success. But Singapore did not become a champion of respect and safety through press conferences, declarations of intent, or appeals to common sense. It achieved this by enforcing the law everywhere, all the time, for everyone.

Will the government have the courage to ensure order and discipline on our roads during the end-of-year period by enforcing designated areas for street vendors to avoid paralyzing the main arteries of cities and large villages?

Only actions matter.