EDITORIAL What if October was rosy on the roads of Gard?

This Wednesday, October 1 marked the launch of Pink October, breast cancer screening awareness month. Screening that saves thousands of lives because, detected at an early stage, breast cancer can be cured in 9 out of 10 cases. This is therefore the motto of this major national campaign: get involved track down! Let’s imagine for a moment that we apply this beautiful and necessary idea to road safety. In Gard, these last few weeks have been dramatic on the roads. A quick, non-exhaustive reminder: three young people killed at the end of August near Lasalle; a 25-year-old man in Beaucaire in mid-September; a 48-year-old motorcyclist the next day in Poulx; a thirty-year-old on September 23 in Sommières; a forty-year-old on September 24 in Saint-Siffret. And we’re not talking about seriously injured people. Nor bereaved families and orphaned children. In addition to being sad, the matter is serious. So much so that the prefect has taken it upon himself: police officers and gendarmes will be more present on the roads. But in our imaginary Pink October of road safety, like the women who go to get tested themselves, it is the driver himself who would choose to take responsibility. Just to see what it looks like. Also a story of resuming new good habits. No need for gendarmes or police officers to encourage him to slow down. He would not call while driving, read emails and text messages even less, slow down near schools, do not drink alcohol before hitting the road, and would not smoke his joint. Maybe it wouldn’t save 9 out of 10 people like it would for breast cancer. Whatever… But it would certainly avoid a lot of accidents. Come on, we believe it! After a gloomy September, it’s time for rosy October.