[DaPilot]

I visit India (Mumbai) almost every year and unfortunately I have seen things getting worse every year (please correct me if I am wrong).

I very well know how frustrating it is to control your aggression when literally everyone around you is full of aggression (I rammed in to a truck myself in that aggression).

However I really think we all need a sustained effort to change aggressive driving behavior.

I noticed a lot of things but here’s my street experience that really stood out from my last trip!

I know common sense is not common but jokes apart… Isn’t this common sense:

1) Drivers should stop and look both ways before entering a major thoroughfare (main road)?
2) In a traffic round about (7 rasta, 4 rasta etc) with an traffic/parking island in the center those already in the roundabout have the right of way and those entering the roundabout should yield?
3) Traffic light NOT OPTIONAL!
4) Double parking in the middle of the narrow single lane road a NO NO

And the Reality:
1) I noticed drivers intentionally (without even looking left or right) speed up and thrust their way into traffic expecting other cars to make way
2) People sure know laws of physics > Right of way in a roundabout = mass and speed…
a. Bike and Car - Car wins (well many instances Bikes win)
b. Car and SUV – SUV wins
c. SUV and Small Truck – Small Truck wins
d. Small Truck and BUS – Bus wins
e. BUS and BUS – Bus that already have dents from previous encounters wins
3) Jumping Traffic light has almost become a national time pass; however I must say people do respect red lights on major intersections.
4) One of the most irritating things… I noticed this everywhere but one instance stands out, I saw this guy double park in the middle of a single lane road blocking everyone talking to God knows who on his cell phone for a full 5 mins with everyone honking around him and cursing him.

We team-bhp members are all mature and rational… so I would really like to hear your opinion on the following question -

How can the present generation help improve this situation for our future generation? Is it possible to bring a change by changing ourselves first or there is no hope?

[drifter]

To put it shortly, the conditions are getting worse, but not dangerous if you are a defensive driver.

Drifter

[jat]

I agree with you. I have tried to say the same thing about Mumbai at the following site.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...i-traffic.html

[jango]

YES everyday wih the increasing no of vehicles hitting the road

[vivekiny2k]

we live in a country where right of way (and everything else) is snatched.

from where you learnt it, it clearly says right of way has to be given, not taken.

And I am sure it's not just right of way. everything is snatched from others in india. business, money, jobs, seat in trains/buses. Do you see any respect for a fellow human being? It's a thing with the society we have created. survival of the fittest works here.

and if one person tries to give it, he will lose it to the next 50 drivers in row

[DaPilot]

How can the present generation help improve this situation for our future generation? Is it possible to bring a change by changing ourselves first or there is no hope?

From the few replies it seem like there is no HOPE? There's got to be some way... radical or simple there's got to be someway rite?

@vivekiny2k: I totoally understand and agree to your point... but i would really like to know your thoughts on how to improve the situvation. Future drivers will learn from present drivers so... if we start now dont you think the future generation will learn something? Or I am in a lala land imagining the impossible

[revharder]

driving in india is getting dangerous, no doubt about it.

but did we bothered to look at the causes behind it or rather 'the cause' behind it?
'the cause', because imho, corruption is just one and only factor responsible for everything going negative for us and our nation.

Driving licenses are issued as if they are being distributed as pamphlets!
driving tests, meant to check the ability of drivers to tackle the situations and not to disturb the flow of traffic, are useless.

traffic cops meant for challaning dangerous drivers takes bribe and leaves them.

corruption in india has reached to such levels that it won't dilute in near future and we have to continue to drive among 'maai-kal-shoe-makers'.

[Jay]

Originally Posted by DaPilot

From the few replies it seem like there is no HOPE? There's got to be some way... radical or simple there's got to be someway rite?

Future drivers will learn from present drivers so... if we start now dont you think the future generation will learn something? Or I am in a lala land imagining the impossible

hey DaPilot, nothing is impossible.... well the strict implementation of traffic rules might solve the traffic chaos to some extent.

well one day here in Bangalore i happened to ride a friend's bike with him sitting behind me, we approach a signal that was Green at that time doing speeds of around 60kmph... we thought we would make it past the signal before it could turn Red... suddenly it turned Red and i had to brake hard, managed to stop the bike right on the white line near the signal light... a man with his wife and 2 children in scooter ( doing speeds in exess of 60kmph ) couldnt stop and he banged right into me... cop calls us to the side and says it was my fault that i stopped suddenly at the signal and said i'll have to pay for the damages to the scooter ( none of us were hurt )... after a heated argument he let me go agreeing that it wasnt my fault....

well if the cops themselves behave rationally with considering the rules, how could one expect the general public to behave civilised ???

i remember one of my friend pay ( bribe ) a cop Rs 2 and get away for having no liscense, no documents and the bike was of a different state....
the cop asked Rs 2 for beedi...

if the cops are strict then it would also induce certain fear in the public of the consequense they'll have to face if they violate rules.

[vivekiny2k]

Originally Posted by DaPilot

@vivekiny2k:

Ok, after the sarcastic remarks, let me get back to what i think about improvement.

first, i am not a pessimist. and whatever happens, i keep cribbing (sometimes sarcastic) and probing people to behave properly.

regarding the remedies, I believe that if everybody does their part right, things will improve. so most important thing is to correct oneself.
second, like charity, everythign else begins at home. How can a guy behave prorperly when he has seen his father breaking all rules and squeezing in the least amount of space in traffic to get ahead.

So you have two choices, tell ur kids to behave properly (not only traffic, things like honesty, respecting elders, pedestrians etc), and make them a good citizen. Or, teach them tricks to get ahead in life, by hook or by crook. and trust me, it will really work in india.

choice is ur's. do you want to satisfy ur honest ego, or you want ur kids (and any other folks close to you, for that mater) to be THE successful ones, in india society.

will they thank you when they are grown up?

[karthik247]

Since the roads are becoming better and the number of expressways are getting highwer, the risk of getting involved in a high speed crash are also high. Problems are caused by the truck, bus and auto wallas..Atleast the majority of car and bikes users drive safely unless they are the rice boy type

[DaPilot]

Originally Posted by vivekiny2k

choice is ur's. do you want to satisfy ur honest ego, or you want ur kids (and any other folks close to you, for that mater) to be THE successful ones, in india society.
will they thank you when they are grown up?

Hey Vivekiny2k... you made several good points. I guess there has to be a balance cause in life sometimes you have to play some tricks but if we stick to the point of driving and driving only then I think we have to start now by not doing the things that we wouldnt want our children to do and risk their lives.

@Jay: you did the right thing and you were not penalized for it so in your case doing the right thing worked out for you (i think that is promising)
@revharder: @ 'maai-kal-shoe-makers'

@karthik: you are absolutely rite... defence driving is the only solution on express ways i guess. And yes accidents at higher speeds without airbags will definately take more lives if the situvation does not improve.

[autozealot]

Yes, I fully agree that the situation is deteriorating gradually.

There is no single solution to problems in our cities. Starting from poor condition of the roads, lack of proper signalling, corrupt personell, B.E.S.T. drivers, taxiwallas (9211 types ), rickshaw-wallas, insane cyclists, dumpers (splly on highways) and the list goes on..............

It will take something more than just us, as private car owners to bring about positive changes in our traffic system.

If anything needs to be done (which is the need of the hour), it needs to be initiated by the government. Are they here just to collect taxes and increase fuel prices?

Good-bye

az

[manaa45]

i would just say that the situations is just hopeless.

i mean there is no discipline at all, right from the driver to the pedestrian.

there are as many reckless drivers as there are jay walkers. and the people who are put in charge of maintaining discipline are the ones who break it the most. have you seen any traffic havaldar or police havaldar wearing a helmet while riding his bike, there must be one in hundred.

today morning while travelling from mubai central to nerul, we were waiting at a signal in chembur, i see a young kid crossing the road and suddenly he has fallen on ground and the swift which pushed him to ground is almost on his right foot. i think thanks to swift's braking his foot was saved or else you can imagine the worst. from what i saw it was fault of swift's driver who did not even bother to come out of hte car and say sorry to the boy. of it would have been any other adult, they would have smashed the swift as well as the driver. i felt very bad for the boy who could do nothing but wince in pain.

this incident brings to light as to how some morons who have no driving sense are given licenses.

Hopeless & disgusting are the only words i can think off.

Shubbhi

[sbasak]

There is no doubt that driving in India is getting worsened everyday! Especially at metro cities. The main reason behind it that number of vehicles have grown exponentially with little or no increase in infrastructure. Everyone is impatient - no one really cares of any rules.

But the situation is not that bad in smaller cities. There driving is still a pleasure.

The main problem behind it, as usual, corruption and lack of education.

Most professional drivers in India are uneducated.
The system is full of corruption. People can get away from anything by either paying bribe of by backing of drivers' unions!

So, people like "us" will continue to face nightmare in driving in metro cities in India.

[tifosikrishna]

Originally Posted by sbasak

Most professional drivers in India are uneducated.

Worst part is, most educated drivers are unprofessional...this is more worrying than anything else.