By Josephine Sesay

As the rainy season sweeps across Sierra Leone, our roads have once again become death traps slick with water, riddled with potholes, and haunted by loss. From May to July this year, a heartbreaking trend has emerged: a sharp rise in road accidents, many of which have claimed the lives of young people full of promise and potential.

The link between heavy rain and increased road accidents is well-established. Wet surfaces reduce tire grip, increase braking distances, and obscure road hazards. Yet, despite these known risks, our collective response remains inadequate. These tragedies are not just weather-related they are largely preventable, rooted in negligence and poor preparation.

Too many drivers continue to behave as if conditions are dry and safe. Speeding, reckless overtaking, driving with worn-out tires or faulty brakes these dangerous habits become even more deadly during the rains. Among the most vulnerable are motorcyclists. Lacking protective gear and often navigating in poor visibility, they face disproportionate risk.

But the blame does not rest with drivers alone. Structural and systemic failures also play a major role. Poor road maintenance, blocked drainage systems, and weak enforcement of traffic laws make matters worse. Potholes become invisible craters under murky water. Streetlights fail in the storms. Traffic police are too often absent where they are needed most.

This situation demands urgent action both personal and institutional. Drivers must take responsibility by ensuring their vehicles are roadworthy. Tires, brakes, lights, and wipers must all be checked regularly. More importantly, driving behavior must be adjusted to suit the weather conditions slow down, stay alert, and be cautious.

Authorities must also step up. Rainy season road safety campaigns must be intensified. Emergency response systems must be better resourced. And above all, we need sustained investment in improving the quality and safety of our roads. In many cases, it is not the rain but the roads themselves that kill.

Every life lost is one too many. But this season, we have lost dozens most of them young people whose futures have been cruelly cut short. These are not just numbers. They are sons, daughters, students, breadwinners, and bright hopes for tomorrow.

Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Wednesday,16th July, 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)