How to Reduce Deaths on Indian Roads

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Minimum essential components of a modern urban road on which motor vehicles are permitted
India has become famous as a country in the world where most deaths take place on its roads. Such deaths take place on highways and on urban roads. The present note is restricted to deaths on urban roads and how to prevent them. Three major factors that influence the rate of such deaths are:-

  1. Behavior of humans on roads
  2. Road and traffic laws and their implementation
  3. Road design
Let us consider these three factors briefly here.

Behavior of Humans: 

A chaotic and undisciplined behavior of humans anywhere is unpleasant and uncomfortable. When such behavior is combined with high speed and heavy vehicles, it results in death, maiming and crippling from time to time. Overcoming such behavior requires basic education. That is a separate topic needing a full discussion of its own. Road behavior is also dependent on traffic and road regulations as well as their implementation mentioned next

Road and traffic laws and their implementation

The best way to design such laws is to study those of other countries with low rates of accidents and develop one’s own based on these. This is precisely what is being done by the new Transport Minister of India, Shri Nitin Gadkari. It is a highly commendable step. Life is precious and because potential victims require compassion, the penalty on life threatening violators such as drunken drivers, over-speeders, wrong side drivers, red light jumpers etc. must be so huge that no one considers these violations even in a dream. There is also a need to encourage use of smaller vehicles in preference to SUVs that crowd road and parking by charging a huge and prohibitive road tax on the latter.

The second aspect is policing. There is a need to develop a specialized corps of  'Road and traffic' within the Indian Police Force. The mandate of this force must be extended to include policing of behavior by pedestrians as well to take actions on road and footpath encroachments by anyone including other government departments or private persons. Other countries have such laws including the Jay walking law of Canada. Needless to say such a force must do its job honestly and efficiently. Reforms needed by the police force in that direction are given in a separate note here.
https://www.facebook.com/notes/malhotra-ashok/six-steps-to-strengthening-the-policing-system-in-india/575937605755225

Road Design

The components of a modern road are illustrated in the figure. An explanation requires a separate note although some thumb rules are included on the figure. This author may be contacted for more details beginning with a comment in this blog. However, two points may be mentioned briefly here. First a common area cannot exist for movement of pedestrians and motor vehicles without causing deaths. Separate footpaths are a requirement. Second, just as a home cannot be designed properly on a piece of land by designing each room separately rather than a whole house, a road cannot be designed in isolation of the overall urban design i.e. master plans are needed. Complete details cannot be given here since this a blog note for general awareness.
It cannot be stressed more that the footpath on side of roads is the most important component of a road. Without it neither are pedestrians safe nor the traffic on the road. It must be level and free of encroachments. It must be noted that encroachments on foot paths need to be dealt with even more severely than traffic violations. A special authority is needed to remove any with cost billed to the encroachers along with penalty. Some homeowners extend a ramp outside their gates that encroaches on the footpath. These need to be removed as well. Any ramp needed by homeowners must be moved to inside his property, not on to the foot path.  Similarly shop keepers are also offenders in this. They extend their goods on to foot paths and confiscation of such goods is the only way out. Shop keepers also disrupt level of footpaths by adding more to it and these too need to be rectified with cost billed to the shopkeeper.

UPDATE JUNE 11, 2014



While many of the blog posts by this blogger are of general interest around the world, some are of specific interest to certain countries. This particular blog post was written with India in mind. Nevertheless, once written it becomes available to the world and cannot therefore help influencing thinking elsewhere, if it makes a sensible point. It may have influenced UK sooner than India. A News item in TOI,  has announced that yesterday the fines for over speeding were increased in UK in a bid to send a strong message to errant drivers. The maximum fine of Pound 10, 000 for over speeding has now probably become the highest in the world. Justice Minister Jeremy Wright said,  “Financial penalties set at the right level were the most effective punishment for offenders.” Financial penalties also benefit the state as opposed to prison sentences for which the public has to pay.



UPDATE 2, June 11, 2014



A contention has been expressed just now to this author privately that in India the penalties cannot be very high because the drivers may not have the financial means to pay it and alternate prison sentences are cumbersome. This author has a solution to that too – Set a high fine but subject to a maximum of the 'as is where is' value of the vehicle involved so that the vehicle is impounded and auctioned for fine. The driver does not deserve the vehicle anymore because of the dangerous irresponsibility, and in case the vehicle belongs to another owner he deserves to loose it too for having been an enabling accomplice.

 Over speeding may  stop overnight when the prospect is of losing your lovely dear BMW, shiny gray Mo bike that flies like the wind, or that motor cycle gang that emerges to create a ruckus on the roads at night, the lovely new Mercedes or the very grand SUV acquired with great hardship to impress the neighbors and make it safer for the occupants in an accident because of its size.  Precious lives and limbs, that include those of the driver shall be saved and our roads shall be safe again . 

It is not uncommon in India to find an obese owner enjoying his chilled beer and soft music on the back seat of an air-conditioned black Mercedes while his driver has been asked to speed. Well he will just have to walk back or take a bus back home while the car is impounded and the driver detained for questioning. He may take along with him his heavy briefcase and the unfinished can of beer. It will make the walk back in the burning midday sun a little less unpleasant.

 

Comments

Ashok said…
A sentiment expressed in this blog seems to have been taken up in UK sooner than any other country as expressed in the update added today
June 10, 2014 at 7:15:00 PM PDT
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