Is there such a thing called SAFETY in India?

[Sarvodaya]

** MODS: Please delete if inappropriate / Move it to the appropriate section **

Even with recent technological advancements in our country, the "CHALTHA HAI" attitude is still among the minds of the people. They take every thing for granted ignoring the safety of themselves or others. Who is to blame? The Law makers? Innocent lives are lost daily. We are mute spectators watching all the horros. There is a disaster waiting to happen at every corner.

Take a look at the photo. One disasster and ALMIGHTY knows what will happen next.


An illegal LPG refilling Centre. Some of these auto wallah also smoke nearby.


Just to save 2 Rupees

[Bomi]

There are 2 main problems, as I see it: 1) for us, money is king. Everything else, morals, ethics, comes thereafter. 2) We have a false sense of bravado, that prevents us from thinking what consequences our actions could have for others, if things go wrong.

[prince_pervez]

Ohh! Safety exists, only for those who want to be safe. Chalta hain attitude people need to be sent to the INDO - PAK border asap.

[gomzi]

Originally Posted by Bomi

There are 2 main problems, as I see it: 1) for us, money is king. Everything else, morals, ethics, comes thereafter. 2) We have a false sense of bravado, that prevents us from thinking what consequences our actions could have for others, if things go wrong.

Spot on there, Bomi! Well put, False sense of Bravado indeed! I had kept looking for a phrase that describes this attitude and this fits perfect.

People actually take pride in doing such absolutely daft antics and boast about it to everyone around.

[theEnd]

It all boils down to inadequate policing. If there was enough of an incentive to behave safely (i.e. to excessively punish behaviour like that pictured above), nobody would break traffic rules.

I say privatise the traffic police. Get a large corporation to run it. Let it be publicly listed. Allow market forces to determine the fines and punishments. Let them collect the fines (revenues) and pay the cops (expenses). Have them publish annual reports. Get the employees (cops) to file tax returns like we (most of us anyway) do.

I'd buy shares in such a company. It will be profitable for decades, and when Indian roads are finally safe, it will go bankrupt!

[pras.oct25]

To answer your question - NO!

[aaggoswami]

Originally Posted by prince_pervez

Ohh! Safety exists, only for those who want to be safe. Chalta hain attitude people need to be sent to the INDO - PAK border asap.

If this happens, India will lose war against Pakistan. Jokes apart, the people are so indisciplined, they can make a mess of any situation.

Originally Posted by theEnd

It all boils down to inadequate policing. If there was enough of an incentive to ..

Nice idea, but it will never happen. Why ? Because GOI will not leave profitable business.

Originally Posted by gomzi

People actually take pride in doing such absolutely daft antics and boast about it to everyone around.

This is omni-present in industries and goverment insitutions also, and this is one of the reasons for such a mess.

IMHO, our behavior on road shows whether we are self centered or not. Yes, its that simple. The way people drive on the road, the way the park, the way they use " contacts ( influence ) " shows what we Indians are at the core.

The problems is of bad attitude and low thinking. Attitude is so self centered that if I have got the place to park, park like a walk in parking place. Often haphazard parking leads to parking of two cars where three can be placed.
Discipline has to be cultivated since a human's childhood. Next role is to be played by school. These two parameters are only available parameters that can change the Indian operating conditions.
Discipline, hard word and honesty are the virtues a nation can be build upon. We have none, and it shows.
IMHO, the phrase " Roads indicate culture of the nation " is sufficient to prove what we are and how much we care about safety ( of others one ourselves ).

[wildon]

actually Independent India doesn't have any law, its all from the British Raj days and they have changed a little bit here and there.

All we can see now is the modified versions of British raj days laws. If no one knows to create such laws why don't we hire it from modern/developed countries. for ex.Vehicle laws. What a mess here.

[Torqy]

SAFETY? For what? Who?

We don't really need that. We just manufacture vehicles. There are millions of MORONS on the road who volunteer to test ABS, Airbag, Structural Safety, Crumple Zones, High Speed cornering etc.

Why do we need another organization for safety?
Safety! Phew!

[balajird]

This is the first time i am seeing an illegal gas filling centre, this certainly sends a shiver when i think of an "accident" at these kind of locations.

As quoted by Bomi, i accept that in India, people think "Money is King", rest, forget it.

[gomzi]

Originally Posted by wildon

actually Independent India doesn't have any law,

huh, Independent India, you bet. Its total freedom here.

The freedom to do almost anything and get away with it in broad daylight, if you are smart enough or the police are crooked enough.

I cannot understand though why people put such a low price on their own life - forget about valuing someone elses life.

[param22k]

Originally Posted by gomzi

I cannot understand though why people put such a low price on their own life - forget about valuing someone elses life.

It also has to do with fact that many of these people are in a daily fight for earning enough to feed themselves and their resp families. After all, we are still a 3rd World country.

[akshay_b]

Guys beat this!
I was at a maruti dealer with my friend who wanted to enquire about SX4, I asked the sales guy to explain more abot the zxi(top) version, he explained all the features and in the end he says that the airbags once deployed for a minor accident will cost 40k for a new set of air bags and recommended us to go for the Vxi variant to save money!
Me: Shell shocked!

@ a ford dealer:
Us: We want a fiesta ZXI (with ABS) and give us a nice offer+goodies.
Sales guy: Buy EXI(without ABS) as it wont work in India at slower speeds and you save 70k!
Me: Shell shocked!

@hyundai when i over heard a sales guy talking to a customer:

Ill informed customer: What is ABS?
Sales guy: Anti braking system!
Customer: Why do we need this?
Sales guy: For quick stops!
Me: Shell shocked!

My neighbor's driver saw me wearing seatbelts and asked me why do i wear seatbelts all the time, I replied "for safety", The driver just smiles sarcastically and walks off!!
Me:

This is why many people think ABS+Airbags are just "waste of money"

[Thad E Ginathom]

The illegal gas centre is probably no more dangerous than illegal cracker factories.

That is not to say that it is ok. Notice the quantity of domestic cylinders there, by the way.

Errr... maybe the incriminating parts of that photo shouldn't have been blanked out!

If I can add my observation as an "outsider" to all that has been said, all of which I agree with, here's two more "ingredients": lack of education and lack of imagination. It's taken me a while to realise that, taking the bikers of Chennai, as an instance, whilst there are some show-off risk takers, the vast majority of those that I see stupidly risking their lives as they dart through a closing gap, or cut across a vehicle, actually do not have any idea about what they are doing. Do they even get an adrenalin rush out of it? I doubt it.

So that's my contribution to what's needed: education and imagination.

[GTO]

Actually, we can rephrase the thread starter's question

Is there a such thing called VALUE OF LIFE in India?

Sure is. Thing is, most (nearly every?) other countries have it higher!