The Roadmap to Road Safety

Us people commute in various manners on a daily basis to our desired destinations. From the general observation made in any metropolitan city, the two major transport modes are public and private transportation systems with the former involving busses, metro rails, and autos and latter involving mainly cars and scooters/bikes. It can be said with no doubt that with each ongoing day, the population on the road is increasing at a very alarming rate. This has brought rise to an increase in mishaps on the roads. Having been brought up in Bengaluru, a population dense city, I can corroborate for the carelessness shown by the consensus when it comes to road safety. When it comes to driving a vehicle, one must be educated and equally skilled to take on the role of driving in said city. It takes a lot of practice for an individual to learn the different road signs given by hand, the dos and don’ts and the various practical aspects of driving a vehicle.

A lot of people tend to take their driving lessons in a nonchalant manner as though it doesn’t matter. I agree that the same negligence displayed by people is what is causing deaths all over the city. With statistics I pulled from the internet it can be seen that according to traffic police data, 3,827 accidents were reported in the city in 2022, leading to the deaths of 777 people and injuring nearly 3,235 people. In the last decade, the highest number of deaths reported in Bengaluru due to accidents was in 2016 with a death toll of 793 people. The numbers don’t lie and it just keeps getting worse. Driver education has a strong relevance to reducing these numbers. With better training systems for individuals without a license and those already with one, we can aim to decrease the number of casualties. This, of course can only happen when the RTOs do their jobs without taking bribes and neglecting their work like majority of the government employees.

In order to reduce the number of deaths from driving, multiple solutions can be assumed. The first would be to better monitor the kind of drivers the RTOs pass. If they pass every learner they see “just to be done with their job for the day”, then we can wave goodbye to practically common sense. Moving on the list, next up would be stern policing all over the city. From what I have observed all these years, people fear the traffic police as they are capable of imposing hefty fines for the individuals breaking the rules. If policing is done in all the major hubs of the city, my hope is that we can reduce the number of mishaps occurring. Another measure is for the set-up of cameras near major traffic prone areas since vehicles move in large number, for instance, Hebbal, Silk Board, Magadi Road, Yelahanka, and Kengeri. I’ve seen that the traffic police have been doing this in Magadi Road and that’s a step in the right direction. One last thing would be to conduct programs on importance of road safety and why one should follow the rules laid out. I believe that all these steps, though, not seemingly significant, can definitely improve the driving conditions in the city.

Coming to the aspect of personal experiences on the road, mine has been smooth sailing. As an individual I abide by the traffic rules and regulations. My family/friends are responsible drivers as well. There have been almost no instances of them getting into trouble. But there have been scenarios where I have almost been in an accident, not because of my fault but because someone decided to turn without indicating on their blinkers. People generally have no idea about lane discipline, overtaking or turns and of course, the endless honking which has no point. The people have been the same since a decade and the only new thing I keep seeing are different vehicles on the road.

A few notable steps that can be taken by an individual to become a better and safer driver on the road will include abiding by the rules and regulations, having a regular service of vehicles, emission testing, and significant accessories that have to be used by a car driver which includes dashcams. They help in proving your innocence if you are to be confronted by an unfaithful driver. And when it comes to motorists, wearing protective gear like helmets and gloves will significantly decrease the damage dealt in case of an accident. Advice to others to be safer on the road would be to encourage everyone to use public transport rather than jump into the traffic with their own vehicle, not allowing learners on major roadways like the NH or SH, strictly following the very basic traffic rules and being aware of the road laws of the State.

With this I can conclude that road safety is extremely prudent to all people who drive vehicles on the road. If people start to work towards the positive end of this road, I believe that we will definitely witness change in multiple circumstances. The ideal scenario is where all the drivers of Bengaluru drive responsibly and teach everyone around them to do the same, with the hope of no one having to mourn for the loss of their loved one. Drive safe and responsibly.