Road resolutions: My 10 wishes for kinder journeys in 2026
As we settle into 2026, and return to the familiar routines of living, there are some things from the 2025 mobility and transport landscape that we can do without, and things we can build on. While we can’t wave a magic wand to erase congestion overnight, we can change how we navigate it. Here is my wishlist for the year, a gentle plea to my fellow pedestrians and motorists to make our journeys safer, kinder, and a little more human.
1. Stick to the stripes and overpasses (which, hopefully, would be pedestrian-friendly walkways and bridges). Let’s stop crossing roads diagonally (because it takes you longer to cross a road when you follow the longest path). Please, only cross at designated pedestrian lanes on major and national roads. And if there is a pedestrian overpass, use it, no matter how inconvenient it seems. Think of those extra steps not as a burden, but as free walking exercise. It’s a little cardio that keeps you safe from fast-moving vehicles. And I hope the government can do something to make our roads and pedestrian overpasses friendly for the elderly and persons with disabilities (PWDs). Oh, and also, I hope they’re well-lit and secured so we won’t get mugged on the overpasses.
2. Compassion in the cabin. I’d like to use this space to acknowledge automakers who use faux leather (materials not sourced from animals), saving lives of innocent creatures without scrimping on the comfort and luxury of its vehicles. Animal skins, or leather used as seat, steering wheel or gear shift covers, are always sourced from cruelly slaughtered sentients, which runs against the very caring spirit you bestow on your animal companions at home. So, while you may be lavishing tender love (often, expensively so) on your animal companions, your butt, back, and hands are scrunching on the skin of an animal that had its life unceremoniously and cruelly taken, just for your comfort, every time you drive a car that uses leather interiors sourced from animals.
Premium cruelty-free leather alternatives are gaining prominence among high-profile global luxury brands. It’s the new status symbol. Bio-based materials–even in entry-level cars–now offer high quality feel and performance that can rival traditional leather. Also, repurposed fibers from the fashion industry have become sustainably sourced materials of car companies to help reduce their carbon footprints. Textile production is estimated to be responsible for about 20 percent of global clean water pollution due to dyeing and the use of finishing products.
I wish for more consumers to support carmakers who willfully use materials that are more compassionate to animals and the environment. Believe it or not, vegan-friendly automobile brands and models are becoming a reality. Luxury doesn’t have to mean leather.
3. Eyes up, phone down (Pedestrians). I know it’s really tempting, considering the urgency to reply to text messages or engage in social media posts nowadays. However, we need to normalize looking where we are going. I, for one, would check on my phone while walking, especially if I am on my way to a meeting and I have just parked but need to cross the road. My personal resolution is that I would not stare at my cellphones while walking on public roads.
Being a pedestrian requires just as much focus as driving; digital detachment while on the move can save you from a nasty fall or a collision.
4. Eyes up, phone down (Drivers). I’m sure you’ve heard about road crashes caused by mobile phones, lives lost or have been ruined as a result. This reminder is really tiring but needs to be said: No texting while driving. It remains the single most effective way to prevent road tragedies. The message can wait; your safety—and the safety of those around you—cannot.
5. Patience over pride. As I tell some friends who lose their temper while driving: Self-preservation over ego is the way. Traffic tests the soul, but I wish for us to be more tolerant and understanding of the mindsets of aggressive or incompetent motorists. Feeding your road rage only poisons your own peace. Let it go, breathe, and arrive safely.
6. Trust, but verify. Don’t assume that all public CCTVs are working, in the same manner that not all EV public charging stations are always online and functioning. Being tolerant doesn’t mean we should condone traffic violations. To this end, we should all install dash cams for our own protection. Use the footage as evidence for violations when necessary. Be Zen, but bring receipts.
7. Sharing is caring. Carpool with your friends and relatives whenever possible. It’s the simplest way to avoid contributing to the crushing weight of road and parking lot congestion. Fewer cars with more people in them is a math equation that solves many of our city’s problems.
8. Be light-footed for the planet. For short distances, choose to walk or pedal instead of taking the car. It helps clear the air, declutters the streets, and clears your mind.
Car dependence gives rise to urban sprawl and, as British climate scientists Jillian Anable and Christian Brand wrote in “The Climate Book,” this “sets in motion a vicious cycle whereby places and jobs become less and less accessible by other means which leads to subsequent falls in the use of public transport and, in turn, reduced revenue and cuts in service levels, resulting in an even greater dependence on cars, and so on.”
9. Bikes mean business. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we witnessed a global increase in bicycle ridership for both recreation and commuting. This served two purposes: People wanted to avoid public transportation, and they felt the need to exercise during lockdowns. Let’s use bicycles for more than just recreation and weekend exercise. Let’s make bikes utilitarian. Whether it’s a grocery run or a commute to work, the bicycle is a viable transport tool that deserves space and respect.
10. Brake for the animals. Finally, my most fervent wish: Brake for the animals. Our roads cut through their habitats, and stray animals often have nowhere else to go. A moment of patience can save a life that matters just as much as ours.
Here’s to 2026 where we drive with purpose, walk with awareness, and arrive alive together.
