Help on the roads

After a thoroughly enjoyable family vacation recently in scenic and idyllic Kodagu, we hired a car to return to Mysuru. Suddenly, after descending a bend, the car was stopped by a posse of policemen.

“Is anything wrong,” I asked the driver even as we saw more vehicles going both up and down being asked to pull over. “Nothing, sir,” the driver replied calmly. “Routine check. I’ve all the documents. Yet, they’ll fine me.” He got down and showed his documents to an officer, but soon he was seen pleading and then handing over some rupee notes. Back in the car, he told us: “They found I’m not wearing the uniform.”

Tipping off others

We drove on, and at the next bend, there were a couple of tea shops. Many vehicles were parked. Our driver stopped and informed as many drivers as possible about the check ahead. “They fined me for not wearing a uniform. Take care.” This alerted others.

This good-natured tendency to caution other drivers of impending threats is prevalent worldwide. I was reminded of the benevolent mindset shown by drivers, especially truck drivers, in Oman where I worked for many years. To monitor speeding, radars with cameras are installed at regular intervals, not only on city roads but also on highways passing through desert terrain. The camera flashes when a vehicle passing through its zone exceeds the prescribed speed limit plus the allowed tolerance band. The captured image is transmitted to the police control room and the penalty status will be uploaded on the website within days.

The flash

Most of these radars are quite visible and can be spotted from a distance. Therefore, naturally those at the wheel tend to slow down upon spotting one. But occasionally, on deserted highway stretches, makeshift or not-so-visible cameras might be planted.

When we drive, vehicles coming in the opposite direction would flash their headlights. I couldn’t understand why they did so, but my Omani colleagues were quick to infer that there was an invisible speed-sensing camera nearby. These drivers could have come under the flash of the camera or spotted it from experience. Rarely did they seem to think: I’ve been fined, let others too feel the heat.

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