[sparsh]

Folks, it all boils down to the basic principles taught to the kids. Its all about the foundation. In the west, kids are taught to cross the roads only when they have the signal as green for pedestrians and use the zebra crossing, look both sides etc. We should really have harsher laws for people who break traffic rules and enforcement of the same. Unfortunately in India, we can get away with any thing by paying money. Most importantly its about common sense. Above all the attitude of the country should change to being law abiding citizens.

[idea]

This thread is almost 8 year old now. No change in situation infact detoriating.

[Jignesh]

Originally Posted by idea

This thread is almost 8 year old now. No change in situation infact detoriating.

Hello Idea,

What you have said is true. The situation is getting bad because Population is increasing, Purchasing Power is increasing, Number of Vehicles on Roads are increasing & Roads are not increasing / imporving at matching pace.

But rather than generalizing or getting frustrated, don't you think we can start with overselves? I generally ride my Bajaj Pulsar bike to my office which is approx 12 kms from my home.

Given the fact that I have a Pulsar, I have ample pick-up & speed under me, but I refrain to use the same. I generally put off engine if the wait at signal seems to be more than 1 minute. I use least amount of honking & always left right indicators while taking turns. Many bikers zoom past me giving me & my bike a ugly look, but that does not bother me. Even being on bike, I do minimum lane cutting. All these things ensures that I reach home safe & in good mood.

I am just trying to convey that someone will have to start imporving & that someone is nobody but overselves. We owe this duty to this country. If we all pledge & start to Drive safe & according to rules, there would definitely be a significant improvement visible on Indian Roads.

Thanks,

[alpha1]

Discpline comes only from two things:
1. Maturity and ability to look past instant pleasure/needs and focus on long term results
2. Fear from authority

Both are utterly lacking in India (actually most humans).
In West, at least the second thing is in place, and therefore there is greater sense on road discipline.

[SedatedDrive]

While self-conscious responsible driving from citizens will be welcome, I feel a strict enforcement of rules and steep fines will keep erring commuters in line.

You don't have to catch everyone who is at fault. The police finds 10 commit fault, catch one at random. Catch a few, fine them with +10% value of their vehicle and seize their vehicle until fine is paid or dealt with in a court. Publicize the case in a popular news paper.

Indians love breaking rules. But they hate losing money or time even more.

Oh, 10% of the levied fine can go as commission to the cop who does the job. Indians hate losing money to traffic cops the most.

[Jignesh]

Originally Posted by alpha1

Both are utterly lacking in India (actually most humans)

Leave Western countries, even in countries like Vietnam & Cambodia driving manners are far better than in India.
If people behave in responsible manner Indian Roads would be a better place.
I feel it is more a matter of personal choice.

Originally Posted by SedatedDrive

While self-conscious responsible driving from citizens will be welcome, I feel a strict enforcement of rules and steep fines will keep erring commuters in line.
Publicize the case in a popular news paper.

This approach has worked in case of Drink & Drive in Mumbai. I apprecaite the efforts of Mumbai Traffic in publicizing the Drink & Drive statistics.

Infact 7 of my close friends are regular drinkers on weekends, but since last three they have dared not touched their vehicles after drinking.

Thanks,

[Sushil.H]

I drive a lot here in Europe , so i am aware of the traffic manners that these people follow, and got used to it now.

I agree that the situation in India has not changed much, but still there is a visible improvement.

Like in my hometown Thane

1. People use a single lane preferably while driving on the expressways. ( Well there are exceptions, but it will always be the case )
2. People use the lane change indicators while changing lanes
3. helmets are now compulsory for the two wheeler driver. ( atleast in the day time when the traffic police are there)
4. You have to pay penalty if your vehicle is found to be on the zebra crossing at signals. ( this ensures that the zebra crossing is free for pedestrians to cross )

[idea]

Originally Posted by Jignesh

Hello Idea,

What you have said is true. The situation is getting bad because Population is increasing, Purchasing Power is increasing, Number of Vehicles on Roads are increasing & Roads are not increasing / imporving at matching pace.

But rather than generalizing or getting frustrated, don't you think we can start with overselves? I generally ride my Bajaj Pulsar bike to my office which is approx 12 kms from my home.

Given the fact that I have a Pulsar, I have ample pick-up & speed under me, but I refrain to use the same. I generally put off engine if the wait at signal seems to be more than 1 minute. I use least amount of honking & always left right indicators while taking turns. Many bikers zoom past me giving me & my bike a ugly look, but that does not bother me. Even being on bike, I do minimum lane cutting. All these things ensures that I reach home safe & in good mood.

I am just trying to convey that someone will have to start imporving & that someone is nobody but overselves. We owe this duty to this country. If we all pledge & start to Drive safe & according to rules, there would definitely be a significant improvement visible on Indian Roads.

Thanks,

Beleive me, i do try to follow it. I opted for no honking, no lane cutting etc after my visit to singapore - really nice traffic manners and you really enjoy driving and even being a pedestrian :-). Patiently did it for 2 weeks after returning to India.
Then i just lost it one fine day. People around you, thinks you are one "Stupid" on this earth (read india) who is borned to obstruct their way and waste their precious time by not following them/their traffic manners.

[Jignesh]

Originally Posted by idea

Then i just lost it one fine day. People around you, thinks you are one "Stupid" on this earth (read india) who is borned to obstruct their way and waste their precious time by not following them/their traffic manners.

Yes I agree, drivers who drive by rule book get a ugly look in India.

But that is once again a matter of personal choice. What others think about you should not matter much. The most important thing for me is to reach home safely & in good mood.

I have experienced the road side fights many times & have pledged never to be a part of scene like this.

Thanks,

[shankar.balan]

Some comments inline on your post(s) in bold. These are my personal views entirely and are not intended to give offence to anyone who may read them. It might seem snobbish etc but is not intended that way - just stating the facts as I see them, each day, every day, all the time, on the roads, malls, airports, grocery shops, restaurants etc.

Originally Posted by Jignesh

Hello Shankar,

Well Said.

But don't you think there is indeed shortage of everything in this Country? Just have a look at our Roads, Foods, Railways Tickets, everything seems to be in short supply & people have to rush to get their share. Indian Railways has increased booking period to 120 is a clasic example of this. Schools asking for thousands (& lacs) of Rupees in donations proves that school seats are short in supply. Yes, supply seems less than demand, but if one just steps back and looks for an alternative one can find it! The thing is that we are like sheep we prefer to follow rather than to lead, so if another family of equal 'status' has placed its kids in a particular school etc, then we feel we must do the same. However, this is certainly no excuse for bad manners and general pushiness. A little give and take would go a long way indeed!

I am not trying to offend to any particular class or creed in this country, but in general I think, we are taught & reminded of "Shortage" right from our birth. Yes this is pretty true at least in the "middle classes"

As a child we are forced to eat whatever served to us stating that you are lucky to get this food & look at road side kids... Same happens in schools & colleges, we are always forced to get good marks or else we will not get seat in Medical / Engineering college & we are made to study in commerce / arts colleges. The result of this is well demonstrated in movie - 3 Idiots. We Indians are generally quite stupidly obsessive about this Engineering/ Medicine thing. What would the world be without the arts and humanities? Think of the great paintings and sculptures and literature - the world would indeed be a poorer place without these.

I mean to say that children here are always lured with some reward if they listen & agree to their parents. Children are always motivated to come first (first here means better than other in class & not better than you I did yesterday).

I believe this mentality continues for our lifetimes & we want to be first everywhere, in office, in society & on roads..
Yes, for the most part. Getting ahead of the "other chap" seems to be the order of the day. Personally I cannot appreciate this mentality perhaps because I was fortunate that I grew up in significantly different circumstances where a high value was placed on good manners etc - this is possibly why I feel able to distance myself a bit from the general hordes of pushy people.
Thanks,

Originally Posted by CareFreeKid

Add to that a pre-program for 'little adjustment' ("..bhaisahib, thoda adjust kerna please!"). Five people on a train berth instead of allocated three, ten separate queues converging on three railway reservation booking windows, people hanging out of corporation buses, a few thousand vehicles on (majority of) city roads and infrastructure designed for few hundreds etc. etc. etc.
Absolutely right. The urge to acquire and become richer than the next chap is all pervading. At the cost of the more genteel things in life. It is also a fact that the great so called "new" middle classes have hauled their upwardly mobile selves up to this new status by their bootstraps but unfortunately havent had the benefit of an upbringing which taught them good manners, politeness and so on. This is why if you take a good look around, you will find a sense of an all pervading crassness that seems to have crept in to our Indian society. Sad, but true.

That attitude is carried in driving as well. Auto drivers would swerve suddenly(instead of braking) and expect others to adjust and brake or swerve in coordinated motion. To cross the street the driver would park his car blocking traffic flow for a good length of time, hoping others would adjust and stop or move ahead from behind the car. Corporation buses would stop bang in the middle, hoping everyone else would also stop and adjust. A few extra vehicles would cross the signal even after the light turns red, hoping the ones with a green would adjust. The list is simply endless!! Endless yes and increasingly hateful. Which is why it is such a great pleasure to be able to once in a while travel to somewhere civilized and enjoy one's limited time there. Unfortunately no place in India nowadays is free from the unbridled upwardly mobile masses who bring themselves and their attitudes wherever they go! It is true that "one can take the man out of the village but never the village out of the man". Not to seem impolite about villages in general, but more metaphorical in terms of usage!

[scopriobharath]

Originally Posted by HorsPwr

The least we can do, for example, is, if it is a red light, stop. Just dont care what the person coming from behind does. This will give out a strong message to people who are sensitive around you to be sensible in roads.

follow traffic rules and drive safe

The thought is good but lets take a scenario like what i have faced in Chennai. I stop at a red light be it night or day, Traffic or no traffic. People have abused me with bad words (i cannot use them here ) for stopping at a red light or stopping before/at the stop line. Heck, at the very least i expect that at least i dont be abused for following traffic rules, let alone ensuring others follow or not.

If i stop at a signal, there are numerous incidents where the person behind me is continously honking, flashing lights, showing fingers at me for me to move. Even when i say its a red light and what if police fine me, so many people have told what can police do. This is the attitude of people. I am being sensible to stop at the redlight. No one does. While on a 2-wheeler, if i give way to a sedan attempting to reverse, all behind me get impatient, by honking / shouting. This is Indian attitude.

The ONLY way to ensure discipline is to heavily increase fines and policing. Fines should be minimum 5000/- for jumping redlight / not wearing helmet (for 2 wheelers) and proportionately increase fines / bribes. Motor Insurance industry can be leveraged for collecting these fines.

[SedatedDrive]

Don't get worked up by people using bad words on you. Be calm and do what is right.

[superutp]

Originally Posted by SedatedDrive

Don't get worked up by people using bad words on you. Be calm and do what is right.

Exactly, ignore these people as much as these people ignore the traffic rules.


On a serious note, after only recently driving again in India I have realised that the more traffic rules you follow, the more chances of you getting nudged, scraped or hit.

Getting honked at, flashed at or yelled at etc are just freebies included in the package that is driving here.

Unfortunately, all of us here love to drive (Live to Drive!), so we just have to deal with it.

[CareFreeKid]

Is there no one here from Chandigarh following this thread?

I have heard really nice things about the city's RTO and traffic sense of public in general(atleast it was so till a few years back). So if someone from the city can throw light on what is it that makes it different from the mess in others, some practical aspects/solutions/practices that work in the real world could be known.

One apparent aspect that Chandigarh stands out for is that its a well planned city with sufficiently broad roads, by-lanes, parking spaces etc. On the contrary, in Pune we have the weird build-as-you-wish-where-you-wish-when-you-wish planning. For instance, if there are any broad roads, the municipal corporation does not like it. In a jiffy, it decides to build a dedicated BRTS corridor on it without any planning whatsoever, making life for those using the non-BRTS lanes a misery.

And the worst part is, no one in the administration pays heed to it or is fined for draining taxpayer's money down these ill-planned projects, unless the media exposes it to public. Hope the call for educated Netas is listened to sooner than that for introduction of a subject for traffic sense in schools. Change would be faster that way.

[mrsherlock]

Originally Posted by HorsPwr

The least we can do, for example, is, if it is a red light, stop. Just dont care what the person coming from behind does.

I have formed a habit of doing precisely that. I absolutely make sure that If I am the first one to reach a red light, I stop my car behind the solid white line (even if it's hardly visible sometimes). I also make sure not to cross that line until signal turns green unlike others who start moving as soon as those timers on the signals count down to 7, 6, 5 seconds remaining.

As someone else has rightly pointed out, even if I try to follow all the rules, due to irrational and irritating behavior around me, sometimes its really hard to keep cool and one is forced to take some actions that go with the flow