It’s that time of year again – the pre-christmas madness has arrived on Sydney’s roads.

This year has been (in my experience) a pretty good year on the road – especially on the motorbike. People have been driving safely, not changing lanes without looking, not running red lights, not using their phones so much. It’s been nice. It’s felt safe(r).

However. With Christmas just around the corner Sydney’s drivers seem to have lost their collective minds. In the last couple of weeks I am seeing:

• Running of red lights – frequently!
• Mobile phone use – all the time
• General impatience, bad driving, and lack of attention – everywhere

I even had a driver sail right through a red light while I was crossing on a green pedestrian light. That was actually scary. They were totally concentrating on something other than the task of driving safely. If I hadn’t been paying attention (as many pedestrians don’t), then I would have been dead and everyone’s Christmas would have been ruined.

So here’s a pre-Christmas message and request to everyone who reads my blog:

Please drive safe! Take your time, don’t rush, plan ahead, and most of all – concentrate. Life is full of distractions, especially at this time of year, so be aware and don’t let them interfere when you are driving.

Say safe everyone, please!

John.