Safety in flashes
I have heard that some motorists have started to flash their headlights at vehicles in the opposite lane, but not to warn their fellow drivers about nearby traffic police, as is generally the case. Instead, these drivers are saying «slow down» – by 10 or 20 kilometers per hour – to oncoming vehicles. Indeed, such a drop in speed could mean the difference between life and death on some notoriously dangerous stretches of city thoroughfares. Unfortunately, the only way of convincing motorists to wear seatbelts and drive responsibly – without excessive speed and illegal overtaking – is the threat of fines or a court appearances. It seems that surveillance cameras and radars are not adequate measures. Undoubtedly, the presence of a few hundred drivers flashing their headlights at oncoming traffic would have the required effect, irrespective of whether these cars were traffic police patrol vehicles or just conventional cars. After all, many Greek motorists are already using various tricks to thwart surveillance cameras, such as hanging a CD from their rear-view mirror to «blind» the cameras. Hiring a few hundred «road police» to discourage motorists from their dangerous habits is perhaps the only way to solve the problem…
