Driving in India: It has been said that many an Atheist has gone to India.
After having driven on the roads there, he has returned as a believer of
God. Which country, then, has a more powerful spiritual presence??!!
We are again reminded of what INDIA stands for, as my friend
Jorge says: If Needed, Divinity Is Available. I wonder how often he
was on the Indian roads!!
Many of the places we will be visiting, as called in the
local parlance, are in the "interior" of the country, which means
that there are no air or even train services, with the only access being by
road. Consequently, we will be on the road for extensive periods of time, and
you will experience Indian traffic which has its own unique attributes.
Within the seemingly chaotic system, there are few
accidents, due to an assimilation of self survival, slow speed (due to the pot
holes and agricultural traffic on the road), extra defensive driving by the
smaller vehicle (who will be hurt more than the bigger vehicle) and also extra
defensive driving by the more expensive vehicle (who will have to pay the
driver of the less expensive vehicle irrespective of whose fault it was).
All in all, a relatively safe, but unique and an
unforgettable experience.
The frequency of traffic collisions in India is amongst
the highest in the world. A National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report
revealed that every year, more than 135,000 traffic collision-related deaths
occur in India.
Multiple vehicle collision occurred
on a busy road crossing at office time in Kolkata.
Extent of traffic accidents:-
In New Delhi , the capital of
India, the frequency of traffic collisions is 40 times higher than the rate in
London, the capital of the United Kingdom.
Traffic collision-related deaths
increased from 13 per hour in 2008 to 14 per hour in 2009. More than
40 per cent of these casualties are associated with motorcycles and
trucks. The most accident-prone time on Indian roads is during the peak hour at afternoon and evening.
According to road traffic safety experts,
the actual number of casualties may be higher than what is documented, as many
traffic accidents go unreported. Moreover, victims who die some time after the
accident, a span of time which may vary from a few hours to several days, are
not counted as car accident victims.
Contributing factors:-
The "Global Status Report on
Road Safety" published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) identified
the major causes of traffic collisions as driving over the speed
limit , driving under the influence , and not
using helmets and seat belts. The report noted users of motorcycles and
motor-powered 3-wheelers constitute the second largest group of
traffic collision deaths.
Economic cost:-
The Planning Commission in its
2001–2003 research estimated that traffic collision resulted in an annual
monetary loss of $10 billion (INR 550 billion) during the years
1999–2000. In 2012, the International Road Federation (IRF)
estimated that traffic collision results in an annual monetary loss of
$20 billion (INR 1 trillion (short scale)) in India. This figure
includes expenses associated with the accident victim, property
damage and administration expenses.
Measures to reduce traffic
pollution:-
The Campaign Against Drunken Driving
(CADD) is an organization founded by Prince Singhal which is campaigning
against driving under the influence. But this campaign has been
ineffective. The IRF asserts that people in India's political sphere do
not have the will to curb traffic accidents. Harman Singh Siddhu of ArriveSafe,
an organization working for improvement in road traffic safety ,
asserted that a general lack of respect for traffic rules in India is a contributing factor for road
accidents. He also has pointed out that although the 2010s was declared by
the United Nations as "Decade of Action for Road Safety",
no celebration was held in India.
