I have unfortunately fallen victim to tyre punctures twice this month alone due to screws which must have been left lying around our public roads.
For safety reasons I urge everyone to please make it a habit to always run a visual check on your car tyres before starting your journey. Do not take it for granted that all four tyres are properly inflated. Your car tyres will suffer slow leaks if punctured by a screw and it is visible through the loss of tyre pressure.
Now if you suspect something is amiss take it to your nearest mechanic to get it sorted. This is far better than suffering complete loss of tyre pressure—or worse, a total blowout on the road. If it is repairable, the cost for a tyre patch or plug is inexpensive.
The second point I would like to note here is a strong message to litterbugs, who think it is alright to throw things on our public roads and highways.
Your actions have contributed to the puncture of my car’s tyres. A screw is an inanimate object that doesn’t just appear on the road by itself. A tyre puncture is repairable, but a life is irreplaceable.
It is still common to see drivers calmly winding down their vehicle windows while driving and disposing thrash onto the road. The things you dispose of are all hazards to other road users. I have seen selfish individuals throw things ranging from plastic bags, tissue papers and even cigarette buds.
You assume what you are doing is harmless, but let me remind you how wrong you are. These objects may get sucked into the engine bays of other cars, thus causing damage, obstructing view and, in the worst case scenario, costing someone’s life.
Please don’t litter on our roads. Lives are at stake. Yours, mine and Mother Nature’s!
Yeap Ming Liong
