By Nascimento J d Souza
Does it surprise anyone that there are so many fatal road accidents in Goa? I am surprised that there are not many more –and for this, we should be thankful that the condition of some of the roads do not permit travelling at a dangerous speed.
In my opinion, which I am sure is shared by many who have had the good fortune of driving in Countries around the World, the causes are many. I will touch on a few;
There are far too few traffic police patrolling the roads. Sadly, drivers will tend to ignore rules if there is no one to enforce them.
The design of roads, bearing safety in mind, could be greatly improved. For example some curves on roads permitting reasonably high speeds are far too sharp. Further in the case of most such curves, no attention appears to have been given to the camber of the road surface.
At cross roads and roundabouts, there appears to be total lack of understanding as to who has right of way. There are no Stop signs where lesser roads join main roads, and so vehicles, particularly two wheelers zoom in on to the main road with little concern. There are no signs on roundabouts instructing drivers to give way to traffic on their right
A firm white line or a double line in the centre of the road, designed to ensure that no overtaking or venturing on to the other side takes place, appears to be totally ignored. I wonder if any of the drivers understand the significance of such lines, traffic police included. These comments apply to pedestrian crossings too. How many pedestrians would dare to step on to a zebra-crossing when there is any traffic. At all times vehicles appear to have right of way. I was told off by a person driving a BMW, when I stopped him at a zebra crossing outside a prominent Panjim school, and asked what authority I had to stop him when a policeman standing nearby hadn’t done so. Recently, at the Dona Paula Circle a two wheeler ignored the roundabout and cut across the wrong side of the road in full view of a smartly dressed traffic police. Was it a live and let live situation? Had I not been watchful, the next day’s newspapers would have carried news of another fatal accident.
Are the traffic police fully trained and understand what constitutes a traffic offence or hazardous driving, other than driving without a seat belt , or in the case of two wheelers, without a helmet, and parking in a No Parking area? On one occasion some years ago, along the road in front of the Mandovi Hotel, a truck carrying iron rods which protruded way out of the truck had no red flag, not even a sprig of bouganvillae (as seems to be common practice) to warn followers. I drew this most serious violation to the attention of a policeman who was nearby –only to be shooed off by him.
There are laws about cars with tinted glass or drivers talking on mobiles whilst driving. Are we really serious about implementing these laws?. Even two wheeler drivers use mobiles whilst driving with little fear of anyone apprehending them
Are driving schools fully qualified to train drivers and, more importantly, do they really know all the rules themselves? I say this as I’ve come across a strange rule they appear to approve. If there is an obstruction on a narrow road as a result of which only one lane is free, the driver who flashes his light first, regardless of whether he is on the right or wrong side of the road, considers that he has right of way. In most parts of the World the opposite is the case – the convention is that a driver flashes his light to convey that he allows the other to get through. Just common courtesy.
I could go on and on, but I’d like to make one final point which I consider most pertinent. Are the driving tests rigid? And are those issued driving licenses truly fully qualified to drive and understand all road rules and signs? Or are licenses easily granted? This, in my opinion, is the root of most of our traffic problems.
(The author is a soon-to-be nonagenarian who still dares to drive in Goa)
