Change... What does it really take to bring it about.

We've heard alot about change in the last year. In North America we were inundated with slogans regarding change. A major political campaign was won based on that promise. But what does it take to bring about change?

I've been back in Italy for a little over a week now and on this beautiful sunny Tuesday afternoon, I have to attend a funeral. I did not know the deceased but I do know his sister so out of respect I will attend. Marco (the deceased) was 26 years old and the victim of his own stupidity. Sounds harsh but I think you'll agree if you read on.

Early Saturday morning Marco and his 3 friends decided to go out dancing after celebrating a friends' birthday. Travelling about 130 km/h (that's 80 mph for those who are metrically challenged) on a 2 lane, dark and winding road he lost control of his BMW 320i, spun and hit a wall. All the occupants of the car were killed on impact. They were between 23 - 26 years old. 2 girls, 2 boys. Marco's 3 friends were all only children. It has been established that alcohol was not a factor.

Ever since I've been in Italy these type of events have been occuring on a regular basis every Friday and Saturday night. The weekend papers are filled with similar stories. To be honest, I've never even bothered to read the accounts but on this occasion I did. The article I read seemed more like a Grey's Anatomy screenplay than a newspaper article. So with over 3 full pages dedicated to this tragedy, how come it still happens?

I know we've all done stupid things in our youth, myself included. I'm sure that anyone over 40 has gone out drinking and driven home when they had absolutely no business behind the wheel. Drinking and driving wasn't taboo in the 80's. It took a group of mothers who lost their children to hammer the message home and society is much better for it. But how many years did it take to bring about that change? At least 10. And without the threat of loss of licence, fines and jail, it would have taken longer.

So what should the Italians do? They drive like maniacs all the time. They feel that speed is their god given right. Even as I write this, I can hear the traffic on the street below me. I live on a busy street in front of an elementary school. The average speed, 70 km/h (44 mph). It's a 2 lane road with driveways, homes, shops and street parking. There has never once been a speed trap set up. And the irony is that there is a police station on the corner.

Perhaps all the parents who've lost children in similar situations should band together and lobby for change. One of the fathers, after seeing his daughters' corpse in the morgue, implored a police officer to start suspending drivers licences as it was the only way to save lives. But will it happen? They only started punishing drunk drivers a couple of years ago.

What seems so blatantly obvious, at least to me, isn't here. I've been complaining about it for 6 years. Been seeing the headlines and yet it keeps happening. So how long before things actually change? How long before people realise that roadways are not racetracks? And that 80 km/h (50 mph) isn't an acceptable speed on every road and in any weather. That each straight stretch of road isn't your cue to floor the accelerator. In the meantime there will continue to be grieving families and weekend newspaper headlines.

And people like me who will be attending funerals on beautiful sunny afternoons.