TEXT A From the health point of
view we are living in a marvelous age. We are immunized from birth against many
of the most dangerous diseases. A large number of once fatal illnesses can now
be cured by modern drugs and surgery. It is almost certain that one day remedies
will be found for the most stubborn remaining diseases. The expectation of life
has increased enormously. But though the possibility of living a long and happy
life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the incredible slaughter
of men, women and children on the roads. Man versus the motor-car! It is a
never-ending battle which man is losing. Thousands of people the world over are
killed or horribly killed each year and we are quietly sitting back and letting
it happen. It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting
behind a steering wheel, his car becomes the extension of his personality. There
is no doubt that the motor-car often brings out a man’s very worst qualities.
People who are normally quiet and pleasant may become unrecognizable when they
are behind a steering-wheel. They swear, they are ill mannered and aggressive,
willful as two-year-olds and utterly selfish. All their hidden frustrations,
disappointments and jealousies seem to be brought to the surface by the act of
driving. The surprising thing is that society smiles so benignly
on the motorist and seems to condone his behavior. Everything is done for his
convenience. Cities are allowed to become almost uninhabitable because of heavy
tragic; towns are made ugly by huge car parks; the countryside is desecrated by
road networks; and the mass annual slaughter becomes nothing more than a
statistic, to be conveniently forgotten. It is high time a world
code were created to reduce this senseless waste of human life. With regard to
driving, the laws of some countries are notoriously lax and even the strictest
are not strict enough. A code which was universally accepted could only have a
dramatically beneficial effect on the accident rate. Here are a few examples of
some the things that might be done. The driving test should be standardized and
made far more difficult than it is; all the drivers should be made to take a
test every three years or so; the age at which young people are allowed to drive
any vehicle should be raised to at least 21; all vehicles should be put through
stringent annual tests for safety. Even the smallest amount of alcohol in the
blood can impair a person’s driving ability. Present drinking and driving laws
(where they exist) should be made much stricter. Maximum and minimum speed
limits should be imposed on all roads. Governments should lay down safety
specifications for manufacturers, as has been done in the USA. All advertising
stressing power and performance should be banned. These measures may sound
inordinately harsh. But surely nothing should be considered as too severe if it
results in reducing the annual toll of human life. After all, the world is for
human beings, not motor-cars. What does the author think of society toward motorists
A.Society smiles on the motorists. B.Huge car parks are built in the cities and towns. C.Victims of accidents are nothing. D.Society condones their rude driving.