Inani lababhubhileyo kwiingozi ezibandakanya abahambi ngeenyawo liyanda eTexas kwaye ngoku libalelwa phantse kumntu omnye kwabahlanu kubo bonke ababhubhileyo kwiindlela zendlela kurhulumente. Kunyaka ophelileyo, abantu abangama-668 babhubhile kwiingozi ezinxulumene nabahambi ngeenyawo eTexas, zinyuke nge-5% ukusuka ngo-2018, kwaye abangaphezu kwe-1,300 benzakele kakhulu. Iingozi ezibandakanya abahambi ngebhayisekile ngo-2019 nazo zibulale abantu abangama-68 kwaye zenzakele kakhulu abangama-313. La manani alandela umkhwa othusayo obone ukufa kwabahambi ngeenyawo nabahamba ngebhayisekile kusanda kwiminyaka emihlanu edlulileyo.
Kwindawo yaseLufkin ngo-2019, kubekho iingozi zendlela ezingama-35 ezibandakanya abahambi ngeenyawo, nto leyo eyabangela ukufa kwabantu abali-9 kunye nokwenzakala okunzulu okuli-9. Kuloo nyaka mnye, kubekho iingozi zendlela ezili-13 ezibandakanya abakhweli beebhayisekile kwindawo yaseLufkin, nto leyo eyabangela ukuba kungabikho kufa kwabantu kunye nokwenzakala okunzulu okune.
Kwindawo yaseTyler ngo-2019, bekukho iingozi zendlela ezingama-93 ezibandakanya abahambi ngeenyawo, nto leyo ebangele ukufa kwabantu abali-19 kunye nokwenzakala okunzulu okungama-36. Kuloo nyaka mnye, bekukho iingozi zendlela ezingama-22 ezibandakanya abakhweli beebhayisekile kwindawo yaseTyler, nto leyo ebangele ukuba kungabikho kufa kwabantu kunye nokwenzakala okunzulu okuthandathu.
Amagosa okhuseleko athi imbangela ephambili yokwanda kwale meko ibangelwa kukusilela kwabantu ukulandela imithetho yelizwe eyenzelwe ukukhusela abahambi ngeenyawo nabakhweli beebhayisekile. Ngenxa yoko, i-TxDOT iqalisa iphulo elitsha lokwazisa uluntu kule nyanga elikhuthaza bonke abantu baseTexas ukuba baqhube kakuhle, bahambe kakuhle kwaye baqhube kakuhle ngeebhayisekile.
“Nokuba uqhuba isithuthi, uhamba ngeenyawo, okanye uqhuba ibhayisekile, sikhumbuza abantu baseTexas ukuba benze ukhuseleko lwendlela lube yeyona nto iphambili xa bephuma behambahamba,” utshilo uMlawuli oyiNtloko we-TxDOT uJames Bass. “Ubhubhane we-COVID-19 usifundise ukubaluleka kokunyamekela thina kunye nabanye abantu kuluntu lwethu, kwaye sicela uluntu ukuba lusebenzise loo mbopheleleko yokwabelana ngeendlela ngokukhuselekileyo nokuthobela imithetho yendlela.”
Phantse isiqingatha sabo bonke abahambi ngeenyawo nabakhweli beebhayisikile abasweleke kunyaka ophelileyo ezitalatweni nakwiindlela ezinkulu zaseTexas babephakathi kweminyaka engama-21 nama-49 ubudala. Uninzi lwabo beluhlala kwiindawo zasezidolophini, kwaye uninzi—ama-73% abahambi ngeenyawo kunye nama-90% abakhweli beebhayisikile—babengamadoda.
Kungakhathaliseki ukuba abantu baseTexas bakhetha ukuhamba njani, i-TxDOT ifuna ukuba bazi kwaye balandele imithetho karhulumente yokuqhuba ngokukhuselekileyo, ukuhamba ngeenyawo kunye nokukhwela ibhayisekile. Abaqhubi kufuneka bathathe amanyathelo athile okukhusela abahambi ngeenyawo kunye nabakhweli beebhayisekile abasengozini enkulu yokubulawa okanye ukwenzakala kakhulu xa bebandakanyeka kwingozi yemoto. Imithetho karhulumente iyalela ukuba abahambi ngeenyawo bame kwiindawo zokunqumla iinyawo, nto leyo enika abahambi ngeenyawo kunye nabakhweli beebhayisekile ilungelo lendlela xa bejika, kwaye badlule abakhweli beebhayisekile kumgama okhuselekileyo kwaye babanike indawo yokukhwela.
Abahambi ngeenyawo kufuneka bawele isitalato kuphela kwiindawo ezidibana kuzo iimoto nakwiindawo ezinqumlayo, bathobele zonke imiqondiso yezithuthi kunye neendlela ezinqumlayo, kwaye basebenzise iindlela zokuhamba ngeenyawo rhoqo xa zifumaneka. Ukuba akukho ndlela yokuhamba ngeenyawo, abahambi ngeenyawo kufuneka bahambe ngasekhohlo kwendlela okanye kwindlela, bejongene neendlela ezihamba ngeenyawo ezizayo.
Njengabaqhubi, abakhweli beebhayisekile kufuneka bathobele zonke iimpawu zendlela kunye nemiqondiso, kuquka nokuma kwizibane ezibomvu kunye neempawu zokuma. Imithetho yelizwe ikwayalela ukuba abo bakhwela iibhayisekile basebenzise imiqondiso yesandla xa bejika okanye bema, bekhwela kunye nezithuthi, basebenzise imizila yeebhayisekile okanye bakhwela kufutshane kangangoko kunokwenzeka ecaleni kwendlela yasekunene, kwaye xa bekhwela ebusuku, baqinisekise ukuba iibhayisekile zabo zinokukhanya okumhlophe ngaphambili kunye nesibane esibomvu okanye isibonakaliso ngasemva.
Iingozi zendlela ezingaphezu kwama-3,000 ezibandakanya abahambi ngeenyawo zenzeke kunyaka ophelileyo e-Austin, eDallas, e-El Paso, eFort Worth, eHouston naseSan Antonio, nto leyo ebangele ukufa kwabantu abangama-287. Ezi zixeko zikwabone iingozi zeebhayisekile ezingaphezu kwe-1,100 ezibangele ukufa kwabantu abangama-30 kunye nokwenzakala okunzulu kwe-113.
“Khuselekile. Qhuba ngobuchule.” kunye nephulo le-TxDOT lokhuseleko lwabahambi ngeenyawo kunye neebhayisekile zizinto ezibalulekileyo ze-#EndTheStreakTX, umzamo obanzi weendaba zoluntu kunye nowokuthetha ngomlomo okhuthaza abaqhubi ukuba benze izigqibo ezikhuselekileyo ngelixa beqhuba, njengokunxiba ibhanti yesihlalo, ukuqhuba umda wesantya, ukungathumeli imiyalezo kunye nokuqhuba kwaye ungaze uqhube phantsi kwempembelelo yotywala okanye ezinye iziyobisi. NgoNovemba 7, 2000 yayilusuku lokugqibela lokungafi kwiindlela zaseTexas. #EndTheStreakTX icela bonke abantu baseTexas ukuba bazibophelele ekuqhubeni ngokukhuselekileyo ukunceda ukuphelisa uthotho lokufa kwemihla ngemihla kwiindlela zaseTexas.
Ixesha lokuthumela: Novemba-19-2020