[highsteem]

Reading through the thread can't help but become little philosophical. Every region/religion has its own way of living their life on a day to day basis. But its always the meaner one who dictates and tries to live like a king! We are told to compromise but not to think and act in a manner where everybody is a winner! Me thinks win-win will make the world merrier for sure, but that requires lot of creative thinking which we are not born with. So we are okay to be looser most of our life being happy in smaller meaner wins :(

[KishoreC]

My answer would be "NO". There is nothing called safety in India, at least not in it's people's mind. Safety is a after effect of valuing
human life, which we don't do in India.

I can see only one problem and I guess it applies to everything. Any problem you start discussing about, start digging and finding root cause, you will only end up with one major problem.

POPULATION.

That's all it is.

[gomzi]

Originally Posted by param22k

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.

I had thought of that as an explanation and to an extent it is a plausible reason especially for really poor people who are scrapping daily for roti, kapda, makaan.

A vast amount of people who I see on our roads putting their own and every other road users life at risk are so-called educated people who do earn decently. After all, most people owning bikes and cars would probably not be struggling to feed themselves.

More money than brains, I say.

[H3LIOS]

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

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.

I agree with you completely, the way person behaves on road is a direct indicator of his general attitude in life. It is so sad that Indians have gone from the famous "pehle aap, nahin pehle aap" attitude to "sabse pehle mein" attitude.

It really galls me to see how recklessly some people park their cars & bikes in the middle of the road with no consideration to fellow road users. They cut across lanes, drive on the wrong side, jump the red-lights - and these are a daily occurrence, I see a dozen such violations in the 5 km drive to my office everyday.

When & how did we become such self-centered creatures??

Man can fly in the air like a bird, swim under the ocean like a fish. If only he could walk the earth like a Man, it would be Paradise! -Tommy Douglas

[s@tan2s@int]

Here are few more examples of people not caring for traffic rules, common road sense, endangering others lives and risking their own.

Is there a thing called "SAFETY" in india ??? Hell NO !!

[para_7k]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

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.
.

Thad, quite simply, they don't know what they do. 99% of people on the road don't THINK when they drive. For them their vehicles are some tools that move in a crowd. Each one wants to be ahead of every one else. For auto rickshaws and bikers, their entire vehicles can go in any space their front wheels can fit in.

Originally Posted by akshay_b

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!!

@askhay, I'm considered the most stupid person in the world by my relatives, colleagues and friends as I always wear seat belts in a car and helmets while on 2 wheels. Once there was a company sponsored tour when all of us had to travel in a bus. One of my colleague told me, "hey, this bus does not have seat belts. Better bring your helmet and wear it". Everyone else except me was laughing.

Originally Posted by s@tan2s@int

Here are few more examples of people not caring for traffic rules, common road sense, endangering others lives and risking their own.
Is there a thing called "SAFETY" in india ??? Hell NO !!

Oh my god! Please excuse my curiosity. I have to ask you. How did you manage these pictures. What were you doing while shooting these
All being said, Every minute in Indian roads for me is a "Game of Survival".

Laws are there. But where are the enforcers. I remember a dialogue in a tamil movie. "When penalties are high, wrong doing will reduce". Laws have to be enforced, everywhere.

[s@tan2s@int]

Oh my god! Please excuse my curiosity. I have to ask you. How did you manage these pictures. What were you doing while shooting these

I didnt shoot these pics.. these pics were a part pf photo campaign by the Hyderabad traffic police on creating awareness on road sense and safe driving

[sgiitk]

See in India every thing is Gods will and preordained. Our basic rules

1. Our fate (Karma) decides everything. We have no role to play.
2. Accidents always happen to the other guy.
3. God is Indian!!

[balajird]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

......3. God is Indian!!

I like this statement, well said, its the typical indian mentality that makes people think like these. we certainly need some brainstorming on "SAFETY".

[Sankar]

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.

Well said! And there's point no 3) Most of us (not all) are generally inconsiderate towards other road users. 4) We are penny wise and pound foolish when it comes to saving time and often take unnecessary risks.

Originally Posted by para_7k

@askhay, I'm considered the most stupid person in the world by my relatives, colleagues and friends as I always wear seat belts in a car and helmets while on 2 wheels. Once there was a company sponsored tour when all of us had to travel in a bus. One of my colleague told me, "hey, this bus does not have seat belts. Better bring your helmet and wear it". Everyone else except me was laughing.

Most people when asked about not wearing a helmet says it makes the hair fall off. Often i ask them which is more important for them; their head or their hair? People have excuses for not wearing seatbelts too, they say they can't breath they feel heavy in their chests when they wear the belt. Its hard to convince such people for their own good.

Just tell the smart@ss colleagues to go take a hike!

[blackasta]

Low levels of education (I mean civic education) and next to nothing law enforcement are the culprits here. I am sure if there were hard crackdowns, everyone of these foolish risk takers would fall in line.

As far as I am concerned, anyone travelling with me in the front seat while I am driving has to wear a seat belt - or else I do not start the car!

Guess this has to start first with children in schools and then with driving schools - my driving instructor taught the seatbelt check to me as the first thing, and repeated that every day I took lessons. Now I know why - he has hammered it into my head, and perhaps contributed to saving my life, if someday seat belts do manage to save me!!

[Rosario]

Also, none of the cops are interested in stoping the violations that happens in road everyday.
Rather they want the violation to happen so that they can harass them.
For instance if you could see after every "NO free left" board a bunch of police men would stand to twist their arms. like a predator waiting for its prey to fall inside the trap.

[gomzi]

Originally Posted by blackasta

my driving instructor taught the seatbelt check to me as the first thing, and repeated that every day I took lessons. Now I know why - he has hammered it into my head

Hey, great to hear that. I've seen a lot of driving school instructors not bothering with seatbelts themselves.

[blackasta]

Originally Posted by gomzi

Hey, great to hear that. I've seen a lot of driving school instructors not bothering with seatbelts themselves.

Well - I learnt driving in USA!
One of my friends took driving lessons here in Kolkata, and he confessed that he was taught driving in a car which did not have a indicator stalk!!

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by para_7k

Thad, quite simply, they don't know what they do. 99% of people on the road don't THINK when they drive. For them their vehicles are some tools that move in a crowd. Each one wants to be ahead of every one else. For auto rickshaws and bikers, their entire vehicles can go in any space their front wheels can fit in.

I think, also, that they regard driving a bike as being closer to being a pedestrian; it just walking, but slightly faster, and it does not occur to them that any contact is going to hurt any more than bumping into someone on foot.