Seven people perished today in road accidents across Kerala. This is a
premature count till 5pm and in all probability a few more can be added by the
time I conclude this article. As every thing thathappen routinely road accidents
ever attract serious attention unless it happen to be some what different in nature.
We are so used to see this news flash on our TV screens and banner heads on
newspapers that we are far from disturbed.
When there is a discussion on road accidents the blame is laid on poor road
infrastructure, lacking in both it's width and in maintenance. Learned men pour
out voluminous data to impress the fact that road net work in our state and
country has not kept pace with increase in quality and quantity of vehicles.
There is no disputing the fact. But can we wait to see our bothers and sisters
perishing on road and hide behind statistical data? Can we now put a stop to
new vehicles being sold and registered till roads are improved ? Are we not
escaping responsibility of safe driving by blaming on external conditions ?
One of the first lessons in driving is to drive in such way that is best suited
to the road ahead. But we are in race. We are bent upon imitating the driving
skills as seen in TV ads, since the small print warning, we have not noticed. We are a
country where the pedestrian, bicycle rider, two wheeler, four wheeler and
heavy to very heavy vehicles use the same strip of narrow roads, which also entitle
equal rights to cattle. So slightest carelessness and absent mindedness on part
of any one element can be catastrophic.
Our pedestrians are not compliant in watching traffic on both sides of the road
they are about to cross. It is often noted that the pedestrian is not
particularly careful about crossing the road at it's safest and shortest point.
Many of us walk across the road to our destination not mindful of the fact that
we need to cross over quickly. zebra crossing is a lexuary and we avoid it.
Careless pedestrians get hit, by speeding vehicles drivers of which are taught
that they have to give way to pedestrians crossing the road. But they never
notice.
Bicycles are a special class . No rules. No need for signals , no need for
headlights, tail lamps, reflectors etc. They can crisscross any busy road, can
dive past and the responsibility of saving them rest with God and others.
Two wheeler riders are the true villains and as in any sub continental movie
they take the maximum hit. They form a sizable section on our road users. But the
hit they take every day far out number their volume. Here again rules of driving
are given scant regard. They sneak thru right or left of any vehicle. They need to
follow no queue, and when they honk you are bound to give way. Many are seen to
drive in zig-zag manner, which resemble a laser show. They forget both art and
science of driving.
Three wheelers - in our place autorikshwas - are a class apart. They are the
busy, to get a new ride that they forget their vulnerability. They would get
into flight mode as soon as they start off. They are specialists in breaking
passengers back bone.
Taxi drivers till recently were much more calm. This might well be due to the
fact that their old amby would not allow them to go faster than the oyster. But
with the recent spate of newer vehicles they too have added to the blood on
road.
Last but not the least our buses and tipper lorries. They are subject to many
restrictions and permit conditions. But neither the drivers nor the police take
care to see they follow the rule. They are in fact an organized force, and it
is well known secret that they do the necessary bribing so that their road rage
never get booked. Violations are so rampant that the speed governor made
compulsory by the highest court of the land, if at all fitted in the vehicle is
only a substitute ashtray. Air horn, the high decibel noise polluter, albeit
banned by the court is still threatening us on road. Tipper lorries in their
hurry to operate maximum trips hit out anything that obstruct them.
If two wheelers and pedestrians take maximum hit, The credit for the same goes
to heavy vehicles. But recently two wheelers crashing against each other is
increasing day by day
A dissection of accidents will give us many causes. The most prominent among
them is carelessness. When care dies accident is born. In our country
pedestrian to pilot are known for carelessness. In fact familiarity does breed
contempt. As our experience in driving start accumulating we start taking things
for granted. Maintaining the vehicle in proper road worthy condition is not one
of our priorities. Over speeding and over loading are not an exception but a
rule. Drunken driving is rampant and is increasing day by day. With governments
depending on liquor as a source of revenue it is not astonishing that here the
law is a helpless spectator.
In our society we train our children to come first in every thing. Ultimately it
turns out that the "me first" attitude is indelibly impressed on his mind so
that even while driving our attitude is the same, We are neither willing to give
way nor can we wait behind.
Another disturbing factor is the enthusiasm shown by some parents in training
young kids in riding motor vehicles.
We are a set of people who have pledged not to follow queue. At closed rail
gates, at road traffic bottle necks, at narrow strips, at places where
congestion or some other reason bring vehicles in front to have a halt we
quickly pull ourselves parallel to the one ahead. In many occasions police
vehicles and even ambulance are held up indefinitely. A traffic slow down
which could have resolved in a few minutes is thus prolonged indefinitely.
In society where citizen pledge to follow the rule and law enforcing agencies
make sure rule of law is strictly enforced roads would not have become smeared
with blood. We have lost civic sense. We are not considering the impact of our
recklessness on the families of the victims.
Our law enforcing agencies are mere spectators in most of the occasions. Many
times their excuse is in lack of man power and equipments. But we know it is
only the insensitivity of the administration that stare out. On many occasions
the role of the police is limited to that of scavengers.
One can only feel pity about a police force which is concerned more about
protection than prevention. Don't read me wrongly. I have a point here. Our
police are much more concerned with helmets and seat belts. One wonders why?
See the facts. Helmets and seat belts are definitely an air in protecting one
when an accident occurs. But if one person decides to drive a vehicle without
wearing helmet or seat belt he is putting only his life at risk. But when a
person drives in a drunken state or in a reckless manner he endangers life of
many people. So the logic out to be to check violations that would put more
people in danger first and then focus on individual related issues. As in many
other matters related to our police's psyche here too it is a lope sided
priority. They focus on soft target, the smaller fish, while the big ones go
scot free. We have even read news paper reports of police being instructed to
announce the date and time of vehicle checking, taking away the surprise element
out.
Now why all this goes on?
First thing is that our rulers have grown insensitive. They are not leading by
example. They remain unmoved by the tragedy that is affecting our brothers and
sisters. Over a period of time emotional hardening has affected the ruling
class so that only crocodile tears are the only out flow that too at tragedies
that are too huge to be ignored.
Compared to developed countries that make it a point to educate people about the
need to be on the right side of traffic rules, we just sit like lame ducks. We
have a rich resource of print and electronic media, both of which have shown
rare glimpses of shouldering the responsibility of educating the public. But
when it comes to the issue of road traffic rules and the need for following that
their commitment, at least till date is limited to publishing tearful stories
and telecasting reports. It is now time that the media which grows on
readership and viewership showed it's commitment to this very immediate
concern.
News paper owners must devote a few inches of their prime space to publish
pictures and words which would encourage people to follow the rules. Television
is an all powerful media which has the capacity to swing public opinion in favor
of issues. Taking a cue from the ads put out by KSFE regarding energy
conservation, the road safety authority must come out with ads that feature film
stars and public personalities so as to inculcate better road culture among
public.
I wonder why the insurance companies which shell out millions rupees as
compensation to victims of road accidents are not giving a serious thought
regarding enlightening the public. The oil companies and automobile
manufacturers must show their commitment towards public by joining hands with
each other in the process.
A dissection of accidents will give us many causes. The most prominent among
them is carelessness. When care dies accident is born. In our country
pedestrian to pilot are known for carelessness. In fact familiarity does breed
contempt. As our experience in driving start accumulating we start taking things
for granted. Maintaining the vehicle in proper road worthy condition is not one
of our priorities. Over speeding and over loading are not an exception but a
rule. Drunken driving is rampant and is increasing day by day. With governments
depending on liquor as a source of revenue it is not astonishing that here the
law is a helpless spectator.
In our society we train our children to come first in every thing. Ultimately it
turns out that the "me first" attitude is indelibly impressed on his mind so
that even while driving our attitude is the same, We are neither willing to give
way nor can we wait behind.
Another disturbing factor is the enthusiasm shown by some parents in training
young kids in riding motor vehicles.
We are a set of people who have pledged not to follow queue. At closed rail
gates, at road traffic bottle necks, at narrow strips, at places where
congestion or some other reason bring vehicles in front to have a halt we
quickly pull ourselves parallel to the one ahead. In many occasions police
vehicles and even ambulance are held up indefinitely. A traffic slow down
which could have resolved in a few minutes is thus prolonged indefinitely.
Mobile phone is creating havoc on road. Talking over the mobile while driving is so rampant that a sizable % of accidents can be attributed to this bad habit
In society where citizen pledge to follow the rule and law enforcing agencies
make sure rule of law is strictly enforced roads would not have become smeared
with blood. We have lost civic sense. We are not considering the impact of our
recklessness on the families of the victims.
Our law enforcing agencies are mere spectators in most of the occasions. Many
times their excuse is in lack of man power and equipments. But we know it is
only the insensitivity of the administration that stare out. On many occasions
the role of the police is limited to that of scavengers.
One can only feel pity about a police force which is concerned more about
protection than prevention. Don't read me wrongly. I have a point here. Our
police are much more concerned with helmets and seat belts. One wonders why?
See the facts. Helmets and seat belts are definitely an air in protecting one
when an accident occurs. But if one person decides to drive a vehicle without
wearing helmet or seat belt he is putting only his life at risk. But when a
person drives in a drunken state or in a reckless manner he endangers life of
many people. So the logic out to be to check violations that would put more
people in danger first and then focus on individual related issues. As in many
other matters related to our police's psyche here too it is a lope sided
priority. They focus on soft target, the smaller fish, while the big ones go
scot free. We have even read news paper reports of police being instructed to
announce the date and time of vehicle checking, taking away the surprise element
out.
Now why all this goes on?
First thing is that our rulers have grown insensitive. They are not leading by
example. They remain unmoved by the tragedy that is affecting our brothers and
sisters. Over a period of time emotional hardening has affected the ruling
class so that only crocodile tears are the only out flow that too at tragedies
that are too huge to be ignored.
Compared to developed countries that make it a point to educate people about the
need to be on the right side of traffic rules, we just sit like lame ducks. We
have a rich resource of print and electronic media, both of which have shown
rare glimpses of shouldering the responsibility of educating the public. But
when it comes to the issue of road traffic rules and the need for following that
their commitment, at least till date is limited to publishing tearful stories
and telecasting reports. It is now time that the media which grows on
readership and viewership showed it's commitment to this very immediate
concern.
News paper owners must devote a few inches of their prime space to publish
pictures and words which would encourage people to follow the rules. Television
is an all powerful media which has the capacity to swing public opinion in favor
of issues. Taking a cue from the ads put out by K.S.E. B. regarding energy
conservation, the road safety authority must come out with ads that feature film
stars and public personalities so as to inculcate better road culture among
public.
I wonder why the insurance companies which shell out millions rupees as
compensation to victims of road accidents are not giving a serious thought
regarding enlightening the public. The oil companies and automobile
manufacturers must show their commitment towards public by joining hands with
each other in the process.
It has to be collective effort. You cannot rest behind the consolation that you
are strictly following the rules, since any other violator can put your life too
at risk. Arise.... Awake and Stop not until we have safer roads.
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