There are numerous road accidents nowadays. India has the highest rate of road accident deaths as compared to any other country in the world. Negligence is the theory often used in automobile collisions.
Driving is actually fun. It is not everyone’s right but, only few have the privilege of holding a driving licence to drive the vehicles. It is the duty of bonafide licence holders to discipline themselves to follow and obey the traffic rules.
Most people have cognitive problem, which prevents them from recognising the traffic signs or to follow rules of the traffic. Everyone in the western countries follow the zebra crossing. Drivers in those countries tend to stop before the zebra crossing, allowing pedestrians to pass or cross the roads. In our country, especially in Goa, it is the other way. The Drivers mentality is – that they have the first right to go ahead and deny the right to the pedestrians to cross over. It has been observed that the traffic policemen overlook the violators and don’t take any action against such errant drivers. There are times even if pedestrians try to show their hand and stop the vehicles at the zebra crossing, the rude drivers will not stop. It is very frustrating to see such an act of misconduct.
Traffic police should stop these offenders and nurture them to follow road culture and ethics. When you see pedestrians at the zebra crossing, it is the first right of the pedestrians to cross the path and only then vehicles can go ahead.
Many drivers lack basic ethics and etiquette. When a fellow driver gives you way or allows you to pass or cross a junction, it would be nice for one to acknowledge by showing the hand wave or a smile or a thumbs-up or at least by nodding your head. There are only few who will pass such gestures, but mostly drivers are ignorant about this courtesy. If these basic rules are taught to the drivers to respect pedestrians and other fellow drivers, then, we will be able to see some discipline on the roads in future.
People take pride to take short cuts and break the traffic rules. May be, they think it is their first right to do so and it is even more thrilling and exciting for them, when the law does not catch up with them.
Another traffic offence is failure to maintain lane discipline. Many of the accidents are caused due to the driver’s failure of not maintaining their lane. Most of them are always in a hurry to overtake on the wrong side and cross the lanes with negligence, without even showing the indicator, which is also another cause to accidents. There is so much of aggression, competitive and egoistical spirit to be ahead of the rest.
Most people change lanes because they get frustrated for being stuck in the traffic. No one realises that by changing lanes, it causes further traffic jam and chaos. People should learn to develop patience if you’re driving and enjoy the drive.
Local governing bodies should also be held responsible for unfortunate accidents which occur due to potholes and bad road conditions. The local authorities are obligated to maintain the roads to a safe and usable standard. Many places the visibility of sign boards, zebra crossing, speed breakers marking’s are either faded and the visibility is very poor or there is no road marking at all.
Due to lack of these missing sign boards and road markings, the risk is high of meeting with an accident. The authorities need to be more vigilant and fix these problems on top priority.
The conclusion is that people are still not aware of their responsibilities as drivers nor the public respect the basic rules.
If everyone follows lane discipline, respects traffic signals, stops at zebra lines, giving way to pedestrians respectfully, accidents will be curbed.
