[Arun Varma]

It always amuses me when someone says speed and acceleration are not primary causes for accidents. Personally, it seems like a justification to continue to drive fast and to condone our high speed driving. We all are expert high speed drivers until we have that accident! And when we do have an accident, it is because of mitigating circumstances other than our actions!

Restricting speed, limiting acceleration and enforcing traffic laws uniformly, imposing stringent fines and penalties consistently, for all persons and at all times, is the primary way we can get out of killing ourselves enmasse on our roads. Infrastructure improvement is important but behavioral control is first for a country like ours!

[Tuborog]

Another thought is, corruption has gone down (and the possibility of it), so more violators are in the net now. I have seen a lot of improvement and discipline in Gurgaon traffic recently.

Better than enforcing ECU and other sophisticated technologies, all cars should rather be replaced by auto driving cars. ECUs will restrict top speed, but not stupid maneuvers. I have seen e-rickshaw drivers doing risky maneuvers everyday with their break neck top speed of ~20 kmph. That will kill the fun of driving, but will surely improve safety.

[harry10]

I drive to Delhi and back to home in Faridabad 5 days a week and many a times in Gurgaon too. My observation is speed cams have reduced speeding a lot. Red light violations have reduced a lot too and mostly done now by Autos or 2 wheelers, very rarely I have seen a car or bigger vehicle crossing a red light in Delhi. Due to traffic cops at most Red lights these days people have even started to stop behind Zebra line. Again 2 wheelers and Autos violate the Zebra line the most.

Autos are the biggest menace in NCR. They simply hog all lanes and violate traffic rules as they want. I have rarely see any traffic cop reprimanding an Auto driver for any offence. Maybe it's cos of Auto unions or Police think catching cars will give them more money or whatever.

Plus after the recent WFH lift out there is so much traffic in Delhi you can barely do 40-60 mostly so overspeeding during day time is quite tough to do.

[BrakeDancer]

The pace at which we are adding vehicles onto the road is way way higher than the snail paced efforts to create better drivers, have better infrastructure, enforce road safety measures, and enforcement of general rules etc. It's become a common sight for me these days to see two wheeler riders who use one hand to talk on the phone and the other one to ride. They take turns, enter the wrong side of the road all while they are on the phone. I've also seen way many four wheeler drivers who will use one hand to hold the phone and the other to drive. Sometimes, these morons end up occupying the right lane on the roads at speeds of 40-45 because they are on the phone, thereby creating traffic bottlenecks where there ought to be none. Short of rolling down my windows and mouthing the choicest words at them, there's very little one can do.

Taking away driving licences on three strikes seems the best way to handle such drivers. Fines are easy to get away with. Speed cameras can handle over speeding, but what do we have to deal with drivers like the one mentioned above? The bigger question is how can someone alert the cops when you spot errant drivers like this who are a risk to themselves and others? Beats me.

[rpunwani]

Agree with the following:-

• Maintaining speeds (specially where cameras are located)
• Police fining errants on the spot with their hand held device by hiding in corners, etc
• Occasional fines for crossing the zebra lines.
• Rare fines for cutting lanes with solid lane markers

I travel regularly on the Eastern Freeway and at the Chembur exit, I have seen cops checking vehicle numbers for pending fines. They haul up drivers with pending fines and ask them to clear the fines immediately.

Driving on the wrong side of the road has become rampant for 2 wheelers, even though the driver knows its against the law. Same goes for driving without a helmet or carrying more than two on a two wheeler; driving recklessly in city traffic; snaking between moving cars, etc. The list can go on and on.

In my opinion, the implementation of traffic rules need to be very strict. The police should have squads concentrated at a junction and fine all errant drivers. The movement of the traffic squad should be unpredictable and happen at any time. No one should be pardoned and errant drivers should be made to pay overdue fines immediately. If the person does not have the money, the driving license should be suspended and be returned only after clearing the dues. I firmly believe that harsh measures need to be taken to control the traffic. There will always be errant drivers who will escape, but if one is fearful then one will abide by the rules. Akin to how Singapore implemented discipline many years back. Once a certain level of discipline is achieved - it becomes routine

[chandrda]

Steep fines is just another avenue for corruption in a country where corruption run deep like a culture.

I don't think anything is going to change unless there is a sustained effort to educate the people right from school in traffic rules, basic etiquette and civic sense. So if we start right now, then it will not be for another generation before we can see complete change in behavior.

When ever I discuss this topic with my son, he reminds me of this dialogue from Thanos in Endgame. In certain aspects, he considers me also who still remember and hesitant to let go of few things.

“As long as there are those that remember what was, there will always be those that are unable to accept what can be.”

Its easier to change the mindset of younger generation and that is where we need to start and focus

If not, measures like steep fines will only result in filling the coffers of the corrupt

Regards

[GeneralJazz]

Originally Posted by chandrda

Steep fines is just another avenue for corruption in a country where corruption run deep like a culture.

I don't think anything is going to change unless there is a sustained effort to educate the people right from school in traffic rules, basic etiquette and civic sense. So if we start right now, then it will not be for another generation before we can see complete change in behavior.

Let me humbly disagree with your point here. Check out any of the middle eastern countries. The bulk of the immigrants are our fellow countrymen. Look at how beautifully they drive over there. They didnt get any special education from childhood to become such wonderful divers there, its purely the fear of law. A traffic fine can easily translate to a couple of weeks wages. Thats deterrent enough.

These same "law-fearing" people drive like maniacs the moment they land back in our country. I believe its simply the lack of enforcement. Now enforcing such steep fines have another issue. A huge chunk of the traffic violators are cabbies, autos, tanker lorries, buses etc. all of whom have strong unions with powerful political connections. Cops wont/cant go hard on them. Finally you end up with the situation like in Kerala, where the MVD are lightning quick to penalise private vehicles, but squeak like kittens in front of rampaging buses.

[FarPatel]

Originally Posted by rpunwani

Agree with the following:-[list]

In my opinion, the implementation of traffic rules need to be very strict. The police should have squads concentrated at a junction and fine all errant drivers. The movement of the traffic squad should be unpredictable and happen at any time. No one should be pardoned and errant drivers should be made to pay overdue fines immediately. If the person does not have the money, the driving license should be suspended and be returned only after clearing the dues. I firmly believe that harsh measures need to be taken to control the traffic. There will always be errant drivers who will escape, but if one is fearful then one will abide by the rules. Akin to how Singapore implemented discipline many years back. Once a certain level of discipline is achieved - it becomes routine

Since you travel through Chembur you must have noticed how the trucks, cement mixers, buses and other HMVs blatantly ignore the "stay on the left" rule. The Buthello buses transporting CISF personnel through the EEH, through Deonar and on to Navi Mumbai stubbornly stick to the rightmost lane, as if they have the right to do so, since they are carrying defence personnel. If they can do so with such impunity why should the smaller Eichers and Mahindra mini trucks be left behind?
Further in my rant, the rule of HMVs staying in the leftmost lane on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway may be observed, somewhat, during the day but at night its a free for all and a nightmare for smaller vehicle drivers. I had to do this stretch at night a couple of weeks ago and it really stressed me out to negotiate the ghat section, with these huge beasts hogging all three lanes.
So, unless the enforcement of these rules is really strict and sustained I don't see any improvement in our road discipline in the near future.

[Mustang Sammy]

Having driven in a couple of countries outside India, my experience has been that fear of the law is the primary motivator to get people to drive safely. Doesn’t matter if it is Surat, Singapore or San Francisco, if people feel they can get away with breaking the rules, they will break them.

[rpunwani]

Originally Posted by FarPatel

So, unless the enforcement of these rules is really strict and sustained I don't see any improvement in our road discipline in the near future.

Originally Posted by Mustang Sammy

Having driven in a couple of countries outside India, my experience has been that fear of the law is the primary motivator to get people to drive safely. Doesn’t matter if it is Surat, Singapore or San Francisco, if people feel they can get away with breaking the rules, they will break them.

I agree totally, our laws are more than adequate. It's the implementation & enforcement that needs to be stepped up many notches.

A Highway Patrol would also benefit discipline on the highways & similar operations in the city.

Sadly, many of our traffic police are not conversant with the Road Rules & Road Signs.

It's another thing that the road signs are inconsistent and not in accordance with international practices.

A lot can be done within a short time to create traffic discipline - question is who will bell the cat

[Mustang Sammy]

When high court justices and their police escorts (why do they need those again?) don’t feel the need to obey traffic rules (going at 120kmph at least on the Mumbai-Pune expressway) then what do you expect from lesser mortals?

Netas getting around thr laal batti rule by putting those lights in the grill of their Mercedes (ahead of the escort car in the 3rd pic) and the escort goons rushing out to browbeat the toll operators to remove the barrier (using fairly rough language) all show a lack of respect for the rules and regulations of a civilized society.