Bakyt Baketaev, a well-known political scientist, expressed serious dissatisfaction with the conditions on domestic roads. With extensive driving experience, he emphasizes that uncertified lighting and loud horns turn nighttime trips into a dangerous ordeal. In his opinion, this situation can no longer be ignored.
“I have forty years of driving experience, and this is not just a number. It’s thousands of kilometers at night, it’s responsibility for passengers and other road users. I have to express my anger because it has become impossible to endure such conditions,” he says.
Baketaev questions what is happening on our roads. Many cars, in his view, are equipped with bright, homemade or uncertified headlights that shine as if they are not cars, but airport spotlights. “Drivers boast about their headlights, but oncoming drivers are blinded, lose their orientation, which can lead to accidents. When I flash my headlights or honk, there is no reaction. This is a manifestation of selfishness: ‘I’m fine, the rest don’t matter.’ This is not freedom; it’s irresponsibility,” he added.
The expert continues: “We pride ourselves on being a tourist country, we talk about developing infrastructure, but why is there anarchy of light and noise on the roads? Don’t we have standards?”
According to him, there are international norms and technical regulations regarding brightness and light angle. “Headlights should be adjusted according to factory parameters, not equipped with homemade xenon lamps or LED blocks,” he emphasizes.
Furthermore, Bakyt Baketaev draws attention to the issue of noise and the moral responsibility of drivers.
“What about trucks and buses? Loud horns scare people, and modified mufflers create noise at the level of an entire neighborhood. Why is this necessary? For self-expression? People and children suffer from stress, and those who observe religious practices forget about their conscience on the road,” he noted.
Critically assessing the work of government agencies, Baketaev questions the oversight: “Where is the control? Why has vehicle inspection become a formality? Why don’t deputies raise this issue? Perhaps because they don’t face the problem in practice, while we, the drivers, risk our lives every evening.”
As a solution, Baketaev proposes a series of strict measures:
“It is necessary to introduce mandatory headlight checks during vehicle inspections with brightness measurement and adjustment. Ban the installation of uncertified lighting devices and impose hefty fines to eliminate the desire to modify lighting. There should also be raids to control loud horns and modified mufflers. An information campaign is important to explain to people that this is not cool, but dangerous and immoral.”
In conclusion, Bakyt Baketaev emphasizes that true societal culture begins with respect on the roads.
“Reform is evident when you are not blinded at night. When the light from oncoming cars is soft and correct. We are building a modern state, but driving culture is fundamental. I urge everyone to pay attention to this problem. Road safety is a reform that everyone will feel. Order is not just about large projects, but also about the awareness that the road is a shared space. If we want to become a civilized society, we need to stop blinding each other,” he summarized.
