Chennai roads are my focus in this blog, but it could relate to most of our cities and towns. The inadequate public transport system and the rise in urban affluence have resulted in the increase in number of vehicles on road. The latest models of motorcycles and cars give that much more power into the drivers’ hands too.
Every day our newspapers scream about increase in fatal road accidents. Head-on collisions, vehicles running over pedestrians, hit and run cases, etc are so frequent. Road accidents vary in their intensity, though many go unreported and get settled out of court. Rash driving, jumping traffic lights, lack of lane discipline, ignoring “One-way rules” and total apathy towards other road users are the main reasons for road accidents. Many drivers consider that they need to know and exercise the “Rules of the Road” only while taking a driving test, if at all they take any.
In a dusty corner at the RTO’s Office at Mattanchery, Kochi I happened to see a revealing piece of statistics on causes for motor accidents. It said that out of all reported road accidents in Kochi, about 90% were due to attitudinal errors among drivers, 5% due to natural and other calamities, 4% due to lack of education and 1% due to unavoidable circumstances. Arrogance is considered as the prime attitudinal error among road users.
Road users could be divided into four broad categories namely, professional drivers, amateur drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. Bullock carts and animals roaming on the streets have not been considered in the categorisation.Further instalments are due....... Cheers......... God Bless.......
2 comments:
Your blog has brought back memories of the roads of Chennai..I am missing all the "arrogance" and all the honking...In the two years that I have been driving in San Jose, I have been honked at twice and I have used the horn once!!!
Dear KC,
For beginner your blogs are really good starts. KEEP IT UP !For expert comments please ask our veteran blogger Rada.
I just got back from a long vacation spent in India. Driving in Indian roads, especially in Kochi, is ' RAM BHAROSA" . Safely reaching your destination is only a chance. There is absolutely no lane or any other discipline or mutual respect or concern for other fellow road users. Everyone is busy and everyone feels it is their ' RIGHT OF WAY". The private buses, auto rikshas, bicycles and the pedestrians all feel that it is their right to disturb the other road users. The drivers feel that your driving skills are measured by your HONKING skills..But I am sure the picture will be different in the new generation expressways,like the Chennai- Bangalore expressway.
HAPPY DRIVING !!
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