While majority of the blame for bad driving rests with the drivers, we do have a significant traffic problem in India due to "mixed" traffic.
We have:
1. pedestrians, bicycles and tricycles
2. Autorickshaws and other big three wheelers which probably will never exceed 50kmph.
3. Overloaded trucks that can only go at 30 to 40 kmph on the highway
4. Motorcycles that can go where the rider pleases.
5. Cars like Ambassadors that can do 80 kmph comfortably.
6. Modern cars where 100 kmph is the general norm.
7. Buses for whom no rules apply (some fly at 120kmph and some crawl at 40 kmph).
The unfortunate thing is: EVERYONE WANTS TO GO FIRST!
Pedestrians use the blacktop particularly when its muddy due to rains etc. to walk since there is no proper sidewalk. Bicycles definitely want a part of blacktop but they contend with pedestrians in case if they need to get off the road and on to the shoulder. Tricycles will never get off the road. There should be a bike/pedestrian/tricycle path (infrastructure).
Autorickshaws are never going to reach anywhere within a reasonable amount of time if they start obeying traffic rules and driving properly. A strict auto lane with barriers and even a stricter enforcement would go a long way atleast inside cities.
Motorcycles should have another lane next to the autos and the motorcycle should be taken away from the rider for a day or two for each violation! After 10 violations donate the bike to charity or something. This will come back to enforcement. May be we can send the Superintendent of Police to different places randomly to monitor the actions of venal policemen.
Now we have trucks, buses and cars. Technically, we should be able to get by two lanes in each directions if all the slower traffic would keep left to let the faster ones to pass the right. This is where I think the driver education will come in.
Going in the wrong direction on a four lane divided highway should get the driver atleast a couple of days in Jail. We all know if someone tries to do that in the West, they'll be dead in no time.
Now, there can be bad drivers everywhere. Left lane hogs in the US are not uncommon either - drivers staying on the left lane at speed limit when they can move to the right and let the faster traffic pass, and some purposely hog the left lane.
So, my solution is this. Given our present infrastructure, take it easy. It probably is going to add 5 or 10 minutes to one's commute, but its better to let whoever wants to go ahead to go ahead and go fast only when the coast is clear. We need to lobby for better infrastructure and driver education. But, as always, we human beings fear the stick, so there should be clean enforcement along with infrastructure development.
Those of you who know Muvattupuzha-Perumbavoor - Angamaly stretch in Kerala is beautifully marked for slower traffic to go on the left, and they generally do. Once in a while you see some auto chap encroaching on the right and everyone moves to the right some crossing even the center line!
My favorite gripe is this: Road signs are pathetically marked in India. I ended up going the wrongway in Madras last month and didn't realize it at all because the sign was all rusted. Actually, the traffic was quite light a couple of times in the morning, so I never even realized I was going the wrong way. I tried to do the same thing one evening and quickly realized I was swimming against the stream and turned around. I should've gotten a ticket, but never really did!
Most of all, our politicians need to educate their underlings. Have you ever seen the number of arches being put up welcoming the beloved CM/PM and what not? These underlings stick bills on the road and direction signs, or put up a big sign in front of the signs so no one can see them anyway. Perhaps, these things should be done first before driver education?
Last edited by THE-U- : 25th June 2007 at 19:59.
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