Road Traffic - Indian Perspective

                                                   India is among the top in the list of Road Traffic Accidents with loss of precious lives accounting nearly 3.5 times higher than developed nations and most often the victims are the promising youth and children of future India.

                                                   Here is a sample of the number of accidents on a 276 km stretch of road  in AP between  April 2007 and  January 2008 that speaks volumes about the gravity of the situation in India pointing  the finger towards the uneducated truck drivers.

(Courtesy: Eenadu Vijayawada edition, Dated 11th March 2008)

                                                   The factors are very many in the Indian context but most of the causes are avoidable to a larger extent. Leaving the type and the nature of accident or the type of vehicle involved or the extent of injuries or the type of fractures  to experts, only the simple avoidable causes of public interest, which everybody fully aware but often ignore, are put forth for awareness, education and propaganda.

                                                   India is a land of CONTRASTS with unity and notable diversities to the extreme in religion, riches, education, technology culture, lntelligence and so on.

                                                   Please go through this programme and contribute your ideas / comments in this awareness campaign to educate the public and become a path finder and a torch bearer.

                                                   Traffic on the Indian roads is terrible and horrifying and invariably interlaced with all norms thrown to the winds. It is not uncommon to see all contrasts and violations at a single given place and at a single point of time. A delight to the foreign visitors.

                                                   Lack of self discipline, among the Indian population, most of the times, plays havoc with the self and the road users. People behave differently on the roads in the presence of law enforcing authorities and vice-versa in the absence which amply tells that the public want the discipline to be imposed.

                                                   Everywhere the roads become venues for revelry and public meetings. All hits on the Indian roads always end in a verbal duel instead of a humble sorry from the concerned.

                                                   Education, in general and traffic education to the drivers in particular, with periodic refresher courses in between under proper and constant monitoring helps, to understand, interpret , judge and improve the driving skills and more importantly sensitizes the individual to the society and laws .

                                                   The arrogance, recklessness and indifference due to lack of minimum educational qualification to the heavy commercial motor vehicle drivers made them accountable  to higher percentage of fatalities.

Illiteracy coupled with arrogance leads to:

• Violation of one-way norms
• Erratic parking: parking side by side, stopping in the middle
• Drunken driving, intoxication and drugs
• Use of high beam lights and banned horns
• Violation of road parameters: right lane occupation, free left occupation
• Use of cell phones and sound systems
• Least respect to human life and road users
• High speed / road rage
• Wrong signaling and own interpretation and conclusions
• Wrong side over taking
• Abrupt U turn

All avoidable violations.

It is not uncommon to find irresponsible educated riders also that are equally responsible and contribute for a token rise in the rate of road traffic accidents.

Some additional factors which add to the difficulties of law abiding citizens:

• Corruption
• Easy Licensing
• Abysmal Law Enforcement
• Manipulations and political interference
• Delay in Justice
• Non confiscation of license
• Easy / Non stringent punishment

                                                   Road and Infrastructure development without expertise and least consideration to villagers along side the highways add further. A subway near a village with optimal gradient / slope, caters the needs of farm tractors,human,cattle,carts and the like instead of a 30 feet elevated foot over bridge which does not serve any purpose at all.

                                                   Rapid urbanisation, urban migration , high vehicular density (Number of vehicles per 1000 population is 8 to 9 times higher to the National average at some places - uneven distribution ) , lack of proper machinery, poor maintenance of roads / vehicles – contribute their share to the spate of deadly accidents  in this period of India’s economic transition. Painted left margins / road median, sign / caution posts and deflectors considerably reduce both the morbidity and mortality.

Photo of my son who was run over by a truck from behind while waiting at a signal in Guntur city.
Helmet did not save him.

• A student of Academic Excellence.
  
  
• Winner of Two gold medals-two years in 5 south Indian states.
  
  
• An artist with vivid painting skills.
  
  
• A designer with creativity.
  
  
• Awards for spontaneity in mimicry.
  
  
• Voracious reader of National & International journals of Electronics & computer sciences and engineering.
  
  
• Self made and Innovative in electronics, computer programming & web designing.
  
  
• A visionary of Future science and technology.
  
  
• A respectful Sir to all - though a student.
  
  
• A beloved younger brother to all girl     students who affectionately call ORE COMPUTER THAMMUDU.
  
  
• A boy of EXCELLENT human values.
  Dr Srinivasa kumar Tata

                                                 Safety devices are poorly designed and the presently available helmets are heavy, block the field of vision and muffle the sounds –the two important senses that adversely affect the driving skills and thereby increase the potential risk.

                                                 No Speed is specified as safe limit, as all speeds are vulnerable to accidents but the extent of damage or injury varies and it is directly proportional to the speed and the impact of collision.

An excessive speed of 5-7 kilometers over the optimum to that specific road and traffic density could be the deciding factor, as the line between life and death is always very thin.

Public indifference to the contemporary society, over crowding and over loading of commercial vehicles multiplies the risk factors.

                                                Non uniform application of rules and Exceptions to the state owned vehicles, administrative deficiency is the major flaws among the law enforcing authorities. It is a common sight in India where 99% of the state owned vehicles fall in the category of outdated condemned lot and it is not inappropriate to say that only a decimal fraction is fit and road worthy.

                                               The voids / gaps between the educated elite and the illiterate poor created different mindset that resulted in chaos while using the roads. Pomp and gaiety, often exhibited by the rich and the influential, drives the wedge between the haves and have-nots has further widened the gaps that created road conflicts and chaos.

                                                 Encroachments – politically sponsored – a temporary delight to the poor but virtual death traps to the road users is a very common sight in India. And it is to be nibbled in the bud.

In spite of all odds people are living in this land – KARMA BOOMI.

HOW   WE   ARE   LIVING   IS   A   WONDER - NOT   DYING

Curse the rogue men on the roads - not YAMA.

GOD YAMA is very kind, soft, honest, sincere and duty minded.

AWAKE  AND  EDUCATE 

LETS  NOT  BEG  THE  DEPARTED  SOUL TO  PRAY  FOR  US