I wonder what makes a gentle considerate person the devil incarnate when he is behind a machine. He behaves as if he is the lord of all that he surveys and any mortal on his way is treated with the contempt that person deserves. Consideration, politeness and sympathy are alien words not in his dictionary.
The other day, I found a big, powerful motorcycle headed my way though I was walking on the edge of the road in the absence of a walkable pavement. The motorcyclist slowed down a bit but took his machine through the narrow space between the kerbside and the road hump. I asked him whether he should use only that space, on the wrong side, when he is supposed to drive on the left, slow down and negotiate the hump. “Yes, that is the space we will use,” replied that hefty man in unison with an equally hefty pillion-rider. I dared not argue further. So much for consideration and politeness!
The bigger the machine, the bigger the importance of the man behind the wheel. Take the example of our own city bus drivers. Anything on their way is a nuisance to be negotiated anyhow as they are always in a tearing hurry to reach their destination. They are known to intimidate other drivers with incessant horn and even nudging the other vehicles in a clear indication they mean business when it comes to demonstrating who is the master of the roads. People do not argue with such drivers who in general have the sympathy of the scores of passengers inside. “Might is right,” the jungle law, is very much practised on our roads.
Those who have visited advanced countries recall nostalgically the consideration shown by drivers to co-vehicle drivers and pedestrians. Honking is taboo, except as a means of greeting or in dire emergencies.
No one overtakes on the wrong side. Immediately after overtaking, the vehicle comes back to the left or right side of the road so that other vehicles could overtake if they so desire. If a driver were in trouble due to his machine, those behind them would stop and render all possible assistance. I wonder whether we will ever learn some of those eminent guidelines for good behaviour on the roads or continue to be acting like maniacs in a tearing hurry. When we talk so much about globalisation, why can't we learn some of the good practices of the advanced countries where safety, orderliness and discipline are ingrained in the citizens, come what may?
(The writer's email id is: dbnvimi@gmail.com)
Keywords: speed driving
Pathetic road sense is what causes rash driving that shocks pedestrians leaving them insecure on the road. Vehicles hop and snake their way on the wrong side of the road leading to dangerous consequences. A foolproof surveillance system to instantly check and initiate punitive as well as promotional measures against drink-driving, overspeeding, dangerous and reckless driving, and violation of traffic norms and rules must be strictly imposed. This can save many lives.
Thanks to Hindu for publishing worthy article. Traffic menace is growing by the day with increased vehicles and ramshackle infrastructure. Adding fuel to fire is the calousness and frivolous behaviour of the maniacs which includes harsh driving, making the roads obstreperous are few among the tip of an ice-berg. It is real purgatory for the common people. Stringent action from the traffic police by revoking the licenses, imposing huge penality needs to be implemented to bring sanity back on the roads.
If we fathom the rudeness of the bus drivers, we can arrive at the right reason. Most of the bus drivers operating the state buses are not adequately educated or refined in manners. Most of them are Ex-service men,who have had served in the Army.By nature,they are rigid, inheriting the callous indifferences and attitudes to the plight of others. They are always rash and have no considerations for others. Their behaviour can be instanced by two incidents occured at Trichy some years ago,where the bus drivers,being Ex-service men,became wild all of a sudden, and drove the bus amuck,killing many people who were on the road,instantly.Those drivers are usually exculpated of their heinous crimes,bending the laws comfortably and bearing the past insignia `Retd.Defence Personnel`,as Ex-servicemen enjoy many benefits from the governments.And more over,the `secure unions`come to their rescue. So,naturally,they are in the impression that they are the masters of the roads. Both bus and lorry drivers likewise demand and grab more space for them,as they consider themselves the demons of the roads!The other road-users are to be cautious about them, ever. Also,in order to adhere to the time-frame and puntuality,they are pushed into a stress and drive unmindfully.There are also road-maniacs in other countries;but the number is insignificantly low and the road offenders are severely dealt with.To escape the red-signal,almost all those driving the 2 and 4 wheelers are impelled into rashness and thereby choosing the devious routes,unmindful of others.It is a common scene to witness the 2 wheelers driven on the pavements,in Chennai,at peak hours, creating problems for pedestrians. The latter are nudged and bewildered.A majority of road users defy the road-rules,imposing crudity and violating the defined displine.One has to heave a sigh of relief when he is returned safely home! To conclude,the road-sense and driving-sense among the Indian road-users are depreciatingly very low.
I live in the U.S. but am very familiar with the way Indians drive in India. The main reason why the American driver follows the rules is the rigid and strict enforcement of the Motor Vehicle laws in every State, with a follow up of fines and jail time if applicable, as well as the loss of the driver's license :something that is unheard of in India. Bribery, lack of enforcement, the slack licensing rules, poor roads and an over all absence of a sense of civic responsibility define the situation in India. I have had a driver's License for 62 years, 45 of those in the U.S. I would not DARE drive on Indian roads today. No thanks. However, even being a passenger in a car is just as dangerous!
Even a very rational person goes out of rhythm when behind the wheels and certainly regrets any such rude behavior to fellow beings soon after the incident - something to do with the ego factor. Social niceties like responsible driving, cleanliness, consideration to other fellow beings, nurturing the ecosystem, and many similar good tools, must be made a discipline to be inculcated to children from the primary level of learning in schools - it will be a long while maybe decades, for results to show, but it is worth trying. It is painful to see young kids scratching on parked cars or writing stupid things on the lifts, in our apartment complexes, and what we need badly is some place where these growing kids are intelligently shown the pros and cons of such acts, rather than being harsh on them. In New York city Central Park one would see volunteers old and young offering cleaning up jobs, regularly as a means to stay healthy. This is one thing we can certainly emulate to great advantage as a tool not only to clean up places but more important, to instil a sense of fulfillment to participants.
This article is excellent and absolutely to the point. I am a foreigner from Europe coming to Kerala and Tamil Nadu regularly. I admire Indians for many things, particularly for their spirituality and hospitality. But on the road they forget these two good qualities completely. Now I live for a short time in a small place outside Coimbatore. Here, as in other places, to cross the main road is like trying to commit suicide. Another point which shocks me is how waste and garbage is treated: it is simply thrown on the road or over a fence, sometimes it is burned and sometimes part of it is collected, but the overall impression a foreign visitor gets is disastrous. May-be Mr. Murthy should write another article about this topic.
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