Umxube Obulalayo

UMONGAMELI Bush waseUnited States wawubiza ngokuthi: “Yintlekele enkulu.” IThe Star yaseMzantsi Afrika yathi “yimeko yezinto enkenenkene.” IU.S.News & World Report inikela ingxelo yokuba: “Ngubhubhani.” Ummi othile onenkxalabo wathi: “Sisibetho kuluntu.”

Ngaba aba bantu bathetha ngentsholongwane kaGawulayo eyoyikekayo? Akunjalo, kodwa bathetha ngolunye uhlobo lukabhubhani kwinkoliso yamazwe ngoku obulala abantu abangaphezu kwabo babulawa nguGawulayo. Uyintoni loo bhubhani? Ngumphumo womxube obulalayo: ukusela uze uqhube.

Ehlabathini jikelele, kufa malunga nabantu abangama-300 000 kwiingozi zeenqwelo-mafutha nyaka ngamnye. Kwizigidi zabo bangxwelerhekayo, amashumi amawaka aba zizigogo zikanaphakade. Oku kudla amawaka ezigidi ezininzi zeerandi ngonyaka. Inkoliso yezi iba ziingozi ezinxulumene nokuselwa kotywala.

Kwishumi leminyaka eliphele ngowe-1990, kwafa abantu abanokuba li-100 000 eUnited States bebulawa nguGawulayo. Kodwa kwakuloo minyaka ilishumi edluleyo, abantu abamalunga nama-250 000 baye bafa kwiingozi zeenqwelo-mafutha ezinxulumene nokuselwa kotywala. Ngokufuthi gqitha uGawulayo uchaphazela ngokungqalileyo abantu ababandakanyeka kwisini esigqwethekileyo nabo basebenzisa iziyobisi ezitofelwayo. Kodwa umqhubi ophantsi kweempembelelo zotywala uya kubulala kungekuphela nje umntu obusebenzise kakubi kodwa kwanomntu ozihambelayo ongenatyala.

Ukusela uze uqhube ngokufuthi kubangela olona hlobo lokufa lunogonyamelo kumaxhoba angalindele nto, kwaye kwahlukanisa iintsapho ngeyona ndlela ibuhlungu. Kulahlekanisa abazali nabantwana babo, abantwana nabazali babo, kwakunye namaqabane atshatileyo.

Amalinge Okuphelisa Oku

Kwenziwa imigudu emininzi ukuzama ukuphelisa oku kuzibulala. EUnited States, amalinge okulumkisa abantu ngale ngxaki aye enziwa yimibutho yoonontlalo-ntle enjengaleyo ebizwa ngokuthi yiRID (Remove Intoxicated Drivers [Bakhuphe Endleleni Abaqhubi Abanxilileyo]) noyiMADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers [Oomama Abachasene Nabaqhubi Abanxilileyo]). Kukho amaphulo abizwa ngokuba yiStop-DWI (Driving While Intoxicated [Musa Ukuqhuba Ngoxa Unxilile]). Imibutho enjalo ikho nakwamanye amazwe. Le inceda amaxhoba ukuba afumane amalungelo awo ize ikhuthaze ukuphuculwa kwemithetho ethile.

Amagosa okunyanzelisa umthetho nawo ayangenelela kweli phulo ukuze abambe abaqhubi abanxilileyo, esebenzisa izinto ezinjengokumiselwa kweendawo apho kuxilongwa khona abaqhubi abanxilileyo. Kuye kwamiselwa imithetho eyahlukahlukeneyo ukuze abo bathengisa utywala nabo babe bangabekw’ ityala. Kuye kwasetyenziswa neebhodi zezibhengezo ezixhonywa kwizitrato ezikhulu ukukhumbuza abaqhubi ngemithetho ekhoyo.

Inani Labantu Abafayo Liqhubeka Lisanda

Phezu kwayo nje yonke le migudu, inani labantu abafa ngenxa yokuqhuba kunxiliwe ehlabathini lonke liqhubeka lisanda. EBrazil kufa umntu omnye ngayo yonke imizuzu engama-21​—⁠abamalunga nama-25 000 nyaka ngamnye⁠—​ngenxa yeengozi ezinxulumene nokuselwa kotywala. Eso sisiqingatha sazo zonke iingozi zeenqwelo-mafutha apho. ENgilani naseJamani, malunga nenye kwiingozi ezintlanu zeenqwelo-mafutha kuthiwa zinxulumene nokuselwa kotywala. EMexico, ngokutsho kwemithombo emininzi, ama-80 ekhulwini eengozi zeenqwelo-mafutha ezingama-50 000 zibangelwa ‘yimpazamo yomntu ngokusisiseko ebangelwa kukuqhuba enxilile,’ inikela loo ngxelo iEl Universal yesiXeko saseMexico.

Kuqikelelwa ukuba ngaphezu kwama-25 ekhulwini eengozi zeenqwelo-mafutha eMzantsi Afrika zinento yokwenza nokuselwa kotywala. EUnited States kwisithuba nje esingangonyaka, iingozi ezinxulumene nokuselwa kotywala ziphumela kwiingxwelerha ezinokuba ngama-650 000, kuzo ezinokuba ngama-40 000 zikwimeko engaginyisi mathe; kufa kuzo abantu abangaphezu kwama-23 000​—⁠malunga nesiqingatha seengozi zeenqwelo-mafutha.

Kuzanywa ukuthintelwa abo baqhuba benxilile, kwiLizwana laseWashington, eUnited States, kuye kwalungiselelwa Intlanganiso Yamaxhoba eDWI (Ukuqhuba Ngoxa Unxilile). Oku kuye kwayinxalenye yenkqubo esetyenziswayo ukugweba abo baqhubi bafunyenwe benetyala lokuqhuba ngoxa bephantsi kwempembelelo yesiselo esinxilisayo. Le nkqubo ngoku isetyenziswa kwimimandla emininzi yelo lizwe. Injongo yayo kukuba izaphuli-mthetho zijongane nemiphumo eyintlekele yokusela kwazo ngokungakhathali. Izaphuli-mthetho ezifunyaniswa zinetyala zigwetywa ziinkundla ukuba ziphulaphule amaxhoba azo namalungu eentsapho zawo ngoxa evakalisa intlungu yawo zize ziqonde ubunzima ezibubangeleyo. UVukani! wamenywa ukuba aqwalasele oko kwakusenzeka kwenye yezo nkundla.

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 4]

Dominic D. Massita, Sr./Accident Legal Photo Service of New York