[DKG]

Originally Posted by Bigzero

Some full page ads on good driving habits will be a good start. If the government doesnt do it, at least some of the Auto Cos ( Like DKG mentioned above ) can take the lead in spending some of their ad spend into this. OK they can have a photo of their car in the corner too..

Corporate India is yet to wake up to its social responsibility. Paper companies need to start reforestation campaigns, Plastic companies need to spend on recycling centres, auto companies need to spend on improved traffic management and lowering of environmental degradation...the list is long and vital

Guys like Mukesh & Anil Ambani, Sunil Mittal, Lakhminivas MIttal, Azim Premji, Narayanmurthy, Anand Mahindra, Ratan Tata, KM Birla etc need to wake up and do something. They are opinion builders and the movers and shakers of the Indian economy

Perhaps TOI should champion such causes. After all they spent quite a packet on their Lead India campaign. The Economic Times should do something as they seem to constantly rub shoulders with the industry bigwigs all the time.

I am just surprised that none of these guys seem perturbed by the problems we face as ordinary citizens. To most of them a campaign of this nature is not even a drop in the ocean.

[KITE RUNNER]

Originally Posted by greenh0rn

Hey guys, do you think we, the mighty force of 50,000 Team-BHPians, can work with the government to introduce some necessary norms, so that we can drive stress-free and peacefully on our roads at least in a few years down the line? Would be nice public service and a lasting contribution of our community to the road transportation in India!

You are absolutely right, even I was thinking in similar lines. We should make various NGOs', driving schools and traffic department involved. As kutlee suggested, better to organise in a city wise manner.

We need to spread the message of road etiquettes among people from all walks of life, starting from schools and colleges. Let the first lessons of discipline and civic sense start from home.

Driving shouldn't be a nightmare at least for the future generations.

[amit_purohit20]

I feel the following reasons for the rude road behaviour:

1) It has something to do with sanskar's. If you remember as a child going out with your father and uncle and they instructing you how to drive safely on the road, wait for the green light etc etc. All these get imbibed in oneself and as he/she grows old is more likely to follow the rules.
2) Some People have very less respect for other feelings or pains, thats why people cut into lanes, come straight ahead on you with there high beams. These people lack ethics, courtesy and respect for others.
3) Some dont take driving so seriously on road. They are not aware of the dangers and the ensuing problems which might arise after being met with an accident.They take it very lightly because of there lack of experience on road and many might not have experienced accidents and there consequence.Just by hearing about accidents does not create the seriousness needed unless and until one witnesses it or he/she himself is involved in it.
(I happened to stay for a year in a house which was just metres from Mumbai-Goa Highway. As I have seen lots of accidents happening there, many of them fatal, these experiences made me a wiser man enough to understand the dire consequences of unsafe driving.)

[DKG]

Someone just sent me a PM about an organisation called SOCH which is doing something just about what we are discussing. Truly commendable initiative. Check out their website soch.in

[amitoj]

When i was in Thailand, i was surprised to see how no one was bothered about being stuck in traffic jams. Bangkok has longer traffic jams every day than what we experience when it rains heavily. But no one loses their cool. And they also have two wheelers zipping between cars and changing lanes. But the cars stay in a single lane!
Hmmm... maybe Budhhism has an answer?

[bblost]

Forget driving, people don't even know how to park.

An almost empty parking lot.
There are 16 spots in this. With 3 of them occupied and yet this Santro.
Well look for yourself.

[SafeSteer]

There are two root causes in my opinion.

1. Driving schools: The instructors in driving schools are neither qualified nor aware of traffic rules. They insist honking as you approach every road intersection. And that habit continues and grows with most drivers who do not bother to think on traffic rules themselves.

2. Penalty: Fines imposed (or the other payments) for traffic violation have become affordable to most vehicle users. Unless violations become collective and impacts car insurance / license renewal / or such compounding effect, there is no deterrent.

The way forward is to enforce simple rules - Do not block intersection, Leave right lane for overtaking, use low beam, no fancy/blaring horns.

Above all, just building multi lane roads are not enough. Educating users for proper use is very important. Who will do it? First the individuals. Second traffic management teams of govt.

[balajird]

Originally Posted by SafeSteer

......The instructors in driving schools are neither qualified nor aware of traffic rules.......

.......Fines imposed (or the other payments) for traffic violation have become affordable to most vehicle users. ..............

+1 to that, one of friend was like when he heard the instructor asked him to hold the steering wheel with only one hand, the reason is, how will you hold your mobile phone if you keep both the hands on the wheel. Till the time there are instructors like this, accidents due to usage of mobile phone, etc are bound to happen.

Sometimes, yes, it makes sense to just pay the 100Rs fine and get off for traffic violation. Unless and until the majoriry of population are aware of traffic rules, i dont think it makes sense to increase the penalty, this will lead to corruption as the cops will be happy to take a few "Gandhi" notes and let off the rule breaker.

[thiyags22]

The education needs to start from home. Parents should actually dread thinking how their children will grow up seeing their actions on roads and show how to behave on roads as examples. Unfortunately it has become cool for parents to say that they want their children to be aggressive so they are successful in life. Aggressive has taken a new meaning here.

Two incidents I want to narrate:

1. I was waiting in queue at the old madras road petrol bunk when a father & son came in a scooter, overtook me and stopped in such a way that he is closer to the pump and hence will get priority. I told this guy that i am waiting in queue and he should come behind me. His immediate question to me- "What's your problem"? Me - My problem is that I am waiting in queue and what he is doing is not right. He refused to engage in conversation and cocentrated on filling petrol. So I told him that he needs to be a better father for his son's sake. Still no response froom till riding away.

2. Our apartment is in a the dead-end of a lane. Before our apartment there is a left cut. My wife and I were driving home and just before crossing the left cut a santro car came half way into our lane so both had to brake. What happened next shocked us - The guy was driving talking on the phone and his son (probably) who must be about 5-6 yrs old was sitting next to him showing his hand towards us and saying something in anger while the father showed no reaction to boy's action. The santro guy backed off still talking on the phone while I moved forward. My wife was left speechless after seeing the boy's reaction to the incident. I am sure the boy would not have learnt this behaviour anywhere else but his family.

Thiyags

[akshay_b]

Originally Posted by amitoj

When i was in Thailand, i was surprised to see how no one was bothered about being stuck in traffic jams. Bangkok has longer traffic jams every day than what we experience when it rains heavily. But no one loses their cool. And they also have two wheelers zipping between cars and changing lanes. But the cars stay in a single lane!
Hmmm... maybe Budhhism has an answer?

In far eastern countries like Malaysia and Singapore, Two wheelers and pedestrians earn the highest priority as they are less fortunate than the four wheelers. Even if a two wheeler is moving slow in a lane, the four wheelers instead of honking and asking for way, they switch to an empty lane. This was told by my Malaysian tour guide. India has a lot to learn from those amazing countries

Budhhism doesn't come to play here, The strict rules and hefty fine does.

[rr_zen]

To put it in a nutshell, I would attribute this behaviour to the following:

1. Ignorance of people (The educated ones too.)
2. Fundamental Attitude of people (I am the boss, I know it all, I have right of way always and I care a damn for others)
3. Pathetic law enforcement (More bribes being taken by policemen than cases booked)

[Trapezio]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Bangkok has longer traffic jams every day than what we experience when it rains heavily. But no one loses their cool. And they also have two wheelers zipping between cars and changing lanes. But the cars stay in a single lane!

Originally Posted by akshay_b

Even if a two wheeler is moving slow in a lane, the four wheelers instead of honking and asking for way, they switch to an empty lane. This was told by my Malaysian tour guide. India has a lot to learn from those amazing countrie

Superb!

I have traveled across ASEAN a little bit. Back in India, I am shocked how car drivers regard two-wheelers as some pest on the road. It does not matter that they are less fortunate. Its does not matter that the poor soul on that 'tin' (isn't that a nickname?) has never seen a decent school; forget about advanced driving classes. We sit in the Honda Civic and comment on how bad people drive! (makes me wonder who needs education more - the rider who does not know to ride or the car driver who does not know to be a little understanding!)

Perhaps we can give him at least a decent space on the road and some compassion. Over a long run I am sure that at least some of the two-wheeler riders will notice the thoughtful actions of fellow drivers and mellow down. Now even if a saint is driving a two-wheeler through the day (say if he is a sales man), he will turn into a maniac within two days.

Unfortunately I must say I have seen some comments in this forum on two-wheeler riders that made me cringe on the chair.

[vipul_singh]

I am going to go against the grain to give a different view:

What never ceases to amaze me is the kind of freedom we enjoy here. We know that people block left turns, stop in the middle of the road, park badly, cut lanes, drive rashly etc. etc. which is an irritant to others, but the beauty of the whole thing is: they do it because they can! If I wanted to do the same, and not care about the other person's convenience, I can do it too!

Any society which imposes discipline inevitably adopts an unforgiving attitude if that discipline is broken. That way, ours is a very forgiving society. I read somewhere (Fortune or Time) that India, and not America, is the true land of the free.

In another instance: I read somewhere that a Swede felt really liberated that we could honk and flash our light, and perhaps even yell if the other driver was doing something wrong. He wouldn't even dream of doing such a thing back home for fear of being frowned upon.

Please Note: I actually agree with whatever else has been said on this thread, so no need to flame me. I too can write another post which would blow this one out of the water.

[sajands]

My 2 cents added to what greenh0rn, dkg and bigzero have mentioned here. You guys are spot on. I just wanted to know in order to spread the awareness on basic driving skills with a smile. Especially to the 2 wheelers and auto drivers. Can we Team-bhipan's across all states team up with the traffic police and launch a awareness drive on the weekends???? just a thought.

[vijayrv]

The precise thing is that as a nation we dont respect others - which is what vipul had mentioned that the Swede doesnt do it because he is frowned upon. When have we ever bothered if someone else frowns upon us? This is the root cause.
Again if we look at it , it is a catch 22 - under paid, uneducated drivers, devil may care snobs and rich brats are the ones who drive. Unless they change, the situation wouldnt improve. They wouldnt change unless something is done to the system.
IMHO, the road fines should be made as a proportion of a persons annual income. First offence - 0.5 % of a months salary. Of course the system is not fool proof, but it is a starter.
Also, the government should accept only payments in the form of a cheque / Credit card or DD and stop cash transactions to ensure that all the money is accounted for.