Make festive season safe

As the festive mood is fast gaining momentum, people are generally very excited this year compared to previous years, something that I feel we really do need as Zimbabweans as circumstances have robbed us of this in the past, at least for most of us.
So it is good that we feel good and are able to make exciting plans for the period between Christmas and the beginning of 2011. As I said, it is indeed well-deserved.
My main concern however is the numerous accidents that have the ugly tendency of occurring during this time of the year, more than any other time. Many Zimbabweans have been known to perish in road accidents during this time resulting in them being as unfortunate as to not being able to be part of the New Year, after all the excitement.
I am sure you will find yourself with very little choice but to agree with me that Zimbabweans are generally fun-loving people. We would never miss the chance to have some fun, no matter what. This is just in our nature and we cannot really help it...and there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a good time, but I believe only if we can do that safely and responsibly.
Another fact about us Zimbabweans, we cannot quite have a good time in the absence of alcoholic drinks. If you do not believe me, try to host a strictly non-alcohol party. You will be lucky to have anyone attending, unless of course it's  the church-mates, and even these do occasionally take to the bottle, although rather privately. Imbibing used to be rather a "man-thing" in Zimbabwe, but not anymore. What, with the numerous ciders now widely available on the market, ladies find they can high the tempo without having to bear the "sour" taste usually associated with lagers. Interesting enough, most of these ciders contain more alcohol content than the lagers, something I have absolutely no problem with. 
The point I'm trying to drive at is that people are obviously going to do all they can to enjoy themselves this festive season, and honestly speaking, there is nothing wrong with that. If anything, we should just let the good times roll!
But what is wrong is people losing their heads in the excitement and turning what could have been a happy time into tragedy. My main concern is our conduct on the roads, as a whole lot of travelling inevitably goes on during this period. Statistics show that many of the road accidents that have claimed our many man and women during the festive season have been mostly owing to drunken driving. 
With the many new second-hand Japanese cars, Zimbabwean roads this year are bound to be busier than ever before and if we fail to exercise the necessary caution, we will see a larger number of our people perishing before end of this year, a situation that could be worsened by the fact that we have a lot of new inexperienced drivers on our roads.
The following are just some of the few precautions that I feel our drivers might need to take as we make our holiday travels, if we are ever going to happily see 2011:
The first thing you have to do before you set out for the journey is to check if the vehicle is in good condition. According to a document posted on internet by the American road authorities: "in order for a safe driver to make their car safe for a long trip, check the oil and fuel levels, air pressure in tyres and especially your windshield wipers and fluids."
When you take on the wheel, make sure you are in the right state of mind. Please do not attempt to drive if you are distracted or under the influence of drugs or alcohol as this will impair your judgement to make the right decisions on the road. You have to expect even the unexpected considering the excitement during the festive period.
No matter how exciting it might be in the car (as it is bound to be) as we travel with friends and loved ones, pay attention to the road. Distractions cause accidents as you fail to read gestures and make the appropriate manoeuvres.
Slow down and keep a good following distance, especially at night and in wet weather. If it is raining, be sure to drive below the speed limit.
Keep a well-stocked first aid kid because you never know when you could need it.  Keep awake and alert.When you feel tired and sleepy, jump out for a few minutes and take a breather as this will revive you and give you the ability to take on the rest of the journey.