The letters by readers regarding traffic violations are true and hit the nail on the head. It is absolutely indispensable for the traffic authorities to realize their folly, that the number of bookings or fines collected is not a true reflection of the improvement in the system; rather, it’s the other way around. Traffic police gloat over having collected higher fines over the years as if it’s a sales target set to prove their efficiency. Higher bookings only prove that something is going wrong in the system. I’m not opposed to the drive against helmetless riding, but much more needs to be done on priority to bring the rates of accidents and deaths down. How does one account for the several hit-and-run cases involving pedestrians? Poor lighting in critical areas, improperly covered cable trenches, large potholes, cattle menace, underage and unlicensed drivers, haphazard parking and unmarked speed-breakers are some of the major hazards. Incidentally, the highway authorities have banned speed-breakers or humps on highways as there were over 7,400 deaths due this alone last year. It’s only in India that one can obtain a license to drive a geared two-wheeler and drive anything from a 75 cc to a 2,000 cc motorcycle. Why isn’t there a qualified gradation for higher cc? Several high-powered SUVs are registered without considering the safety of these vehicles in the present road conditions. Why aren’t the microchips on the smart cards used to endorse traffic violations? Why have the CCTV recordings been discontinued? Simply, it’s because traffic authorities don’t have the will to upgrade the system as this will certainly reduce their income. As a consequence, the public perceptibly have scant respect for traffic authorities, thereby leading to violations, and consequently, accidents and high deaths rates. I earnestly hope that the authorities wake up from their slumber instead of merely blaming the drivers alone.
Accident control
