Indian Roads No more Mystery No Mercy

Indian Roads

 No More Mystery 

No Mercy it is a Fact 

Very recently Former Chair Person of Tata & Sons, Mr. Cyrus Mistry died in a car accident, that too when sitting on the rear seat, without wearing a seat belt. 

There are many speculations over the accident and as it involved a well known personality, it has drawn wide attention all over the nation.

But road accidents and deaths have become a quite a common phenomenon in the Indian Roads.

Root cause is that lack of training and lack of concern for fellow beings.

According to National Crime Records Bureau statistics for 2020 for all India - 3,09,423 cases have been reported due to Dangerous driving, care less driving, over speeding, driving under influence of alcohol / drugs, which clearly points to root cause of issual of driving licences across India without verifying the driving skills of the drivers.

Most of the License issuing authorities across the country are not testing the drivers of their Physiological and Psychological skills before issuing the driving licences.  

In many of the states, for getting the driving licence, a driver shall not even appear in person and he or she just need to pay more to the driving institutes or touts to get the driving licences delivered at Home.

In India, trying to ape the western countries, affluent section is importing high end cars and bikes, which can even zip past at 175 KMPH. We are just importing the machines but not the skills and the facilities on the roads that are available in those countries. Getting a driving licence in many western countries and even in Asian Countries like Singapore & UAE, is a very difficult exercise. By the time, one gets a driving licence in those countries, a driver - the citizen of that country holds that driving licence with high esteem and value. In contrast, We the citizens of India, have least regard to driving licence and the responsibility given to us to drive on the roads. 

Most of the roads conditions even in National Highways are not conducive to high speed driving. Most of the roads is not even suitable for even 60 KMPH speed as this over crowded country has lot of intersections and highly dense human and animal population criss-crossing the roads. 

Unless the 100% drivers are re-examined with even road simulation technology driving tests, which can minutely record the drivers reflexes and sensibilities towards fellow lives and traffic signs and analyse including each and everyone who are already given driving licenses, issuing of driving licences have to be put on hold. Technology must only must select the drivers based on their skills on objective basis and not by subjective nature of Human officials in the Transport departments (RTOs)

Car Simulator Training

India, wants to be a developed nation based on GDP growth. But in reality, Human Life Value Index, has to become the top most priority.

Ironically, driver of the Mistry's car Accident seems to be a Gynecologist, Dr.(Ms). Anahita Pandole, who gets the first hand experience in knowing the value of Life in her profession. 

In countries like Netherlands, Norway , Finland or in countries where motorized vehicles are able to ply with high speed, first priority is given to Pedestrians and Cyclists. Anyone can witness, that most of the vehicle drivers stopping their vehicles till The Pedestrian ( Not only human beings ) cross the road. Even when seating in a vehicle going at a very high speed, every passenger will feel safe and the driver will not touch alcohol or drugs before driving the Vehicle. 

Indians wants to just  copy cat the machines alone but not the attitude or concern for the value of lives.  Indian fault lines exist at this point.

Even in Cities like Singapore and Dubai, where many of the drivers are Indians, gone to work there, have started adopting the culture of driving safely, even if argued for the fear of law of the Land, are able to drive safely.

So, we as the Responsible Citizens, of this great country, have to learn the driving skills thoroughly both physiologically and psychologically and then touch the driving wheel. 

Bike simulator

Only if we respect others' lives on roads, Our lives will be respected and valued. 

In today's situation, Mr. Mistry's death in road accident may look like Mystery but it is not. Every day in many Indian roads, many lives are waving "Tata - bye bye" and going.

In Supreme Court, a life convict may apply for mercy petition and the highest authority may pardon who has to be commuted but in Indian roads "No Mercy it is"  even if anyone travel in High end Mercedes, are being awarded death sentence on the spot. 

An error of Judgement by the driver, a Judgement is delivered on the spot.

It is time, authorities must also realize, Indians' attitudes & Indian roads are not yet ready for high speed and allow the vehicles with lower end speed capacity to be only used on roads, till we reach the 10% level from the existing statistics. Government should spend on training the Humans to value their lives and others'. 

Every Life is valuable not just a Number on the statistical scale.

Responsible Citizens iYakkam Sep 2022