Traffic Sense in India

This is an issue that makes me sad and angry at the same time. I know that traffic sense of people in metro cities is mature. I am born and brought up in a city known as Jabalpur situated in Madhya Pradesh. My roots are deeply attached with this city so I am going to talk about it only.

Jabalpur is a relatively new city and I accept that it cannot be compared with metro cities, but there are many cities in Madhya Pradesh and other states that are equally old but has very organised traffic and good roads.

Human population is known as civilization because it is meant to be organized. Developing a city is a slow and tedious process and it takes time. Although the government has the most important responsibility in developing a town but it mainly depends upon the people living in it. Have you ever seen a colony of ants and the way they move? Have you ever seen a dog dusting a place with its tail before sitting on it? Obviously we can expect much more from human.

In ancient times, human civilization mostly started living besides the river banks. As their population grew, the means of transportation increased and roads were made, they started spreading. In modern times a developed city is where there are ample jobs, good roads and all the basic amenities required for living. A city will have very good business and trading with the nearby cities if the road connectivity is good.

Since colonization is a very slow and gradual process it is impossible to predict anything before hand and plan it. That is why in most of the cities in India you will find all kinds of roads. Highways are always developed, broadened and extended by the Indian government because it is the backbone of trade and business. However it is very difficult to broaden the congested roads inside the city. Human decency and behavior is tested best when the resources are less and the people are more.

When people are not ready to share the resources required by all and disagree to use it sensibly, government has to intervene. This also happens with the roads and that is where traffic rules come into picture.

There are so many traffic rules that Indian citizen must know, but getting licence in India is so easy, no one including authority cares to educate people.

I will try to share a few traffic rules below and to make it realistic I will give my perspective and observations.

• Keep left to allow the traffic to pass on a two-lane road coming from an opposite direction on the right side and allow the vehicles on one-lane road behind you for overtaking from the right.
• There are most places in Jabalpur where complete road is divided in two lanes. People even don't mind going on the opposite lane to overtake someone or make way for themselves. At a crossing, they just want to be among the front line of vehicles so they that they get a head start when the signal goes green. There are many people who overtake from the left even if you give them way on the right side. This happens usually when a pretty lady is sitting one-sided, facing left, on the back seat of a bike and the road Romeos want to have glance of their face.
• Slow down your speed at pedestrian crossings, road corners, intersections and road junctions and wait there till the passage ahead gets cleared. If you enter the main road then give way of passage to the vehicles passing by on the right side as the traffic on the main roads is not regulated.
• Slowing down the speed of vehicle is like an insult for the drivers of India, be it for any reason. Pedestrians are considered to be the lowest member in the traffic chain. They are the most ignored and hated species. Zebra crossings have no meaning in Jabalpur. People don't hesitate to park their vehicle on them. There are some well known incidents where even footpaths are not safe.



http://reformeronline.com



• Hand signals or directions indicators or both must be used while turning
• In Jabalpur, we have to guess by the gesture of the driver in front, whether he will be turning left or right. I have also seen instances when a bike rider was giving hand signal to the left, indicator to the right and then went on straight. 



https://www.gov.uk



• Wearing a helmet for two wheeler driver is compulsory.
• People of Jabalpur like to make excuses rather than wearing helmet. Some also blame the bad roads of Jabalpur, that wearing a helmet causes neck pain. They can manage to lift the weight of their 5 kg head all day checking their smart phones but cannot lift a 1.5 kg helmet which protects their life.



http://www.badlegaindia.org



• Do not park your vehicle where it does not cause inconvenience. 
• In Jabalpur the thinking of people is just opposite, they always park their vehicle where it is convenient for them. Even in the places where there is organized parking in a big parking lot people try to park their vehicle near to the entrance so that it can be conveniently taken back. This tendency results in blockage of the passage of parking.



https://cliffcawley.net



• The registration number on the vehicles should be very legible, visible and clear all the times.
• In Jabalpur, the registration plate is the canvas to show all the artistry, creativity and craftsmanship. A clearly written number plate is considered very boring in India. A number plate sometimes also is the means to show their credence. You will always know by the number plate that it belongs to a politician, doctor, lawyer or a goon. 



http://www.youtube.com



• Use of horns that are multi-toned, loud or shrill and harsh is strictly prohibited.
• In Jabalpur, the horn must be so loud that it tortures everyone on the road, then only they will make way for the king. I have also seen a time when people started putting buzzers on brake. Whenever the brake was applied atmosphere was filled with some shrill sound. Thank God that fashion is over. 



https://lawgic.info



• Directions given to drivers which are either through the regulating traffic police officers or through traffic signals or road signals should always be followed. It is an offense if such directions are violated.
• Rule breakers are way cooler than those who follow the rules. This is the motto of many people in India. I will also accuse the traffic police of Jabalpur because they must be present in full strength at all the crossings and signals (I am not sure where else they are busy, or they are really less in number). People have to be forced to follow the rules for generations, then only their successors will start following the rules on their own.



https://oyegoodnews.com



• Maintain adequate distance and do not apply brakes suddenly other than any safety reason. 
• People in my city, specially riding bikes need just thin and slim spaces to pass. There are power brakes in both cars and bikes. Emergency or not, driver in the front vehicle will apply the brakes suddenly. It is our duty to save ourselves with whatever brakes we've got.

https://cars.blurtit.com

• Do not carry goods on any vehicle in such a way that it causes any danger to any person, or even load it in a way that the material or the goods on the vehicle laterally extends to the front, rear side or beyond any sides of the motor vehicle.
• This problem is left unnoticed by most of us because by the grace of God we are yet safe from any accident caused by overloaded vehicles. Some transporters carry goods dangerously on their vehicles without thinking about the safety of other people on the road. The most dangerous scenario is when long steel bars carried by small trucks where most of the rod length hangs outside the truck. It is lethal for everyone at the back of this truck if it suddenly applies brake.



http://blog.trucksuvidha.com

• Rash Driving is a punishable offence.
• Rash driving is an offence that is never left unnoticed and every sensible person hates it. The problem also occurs when a driver drives slowly in an expressway or tries to drive fast in a crowded road. I have seen few people who gets reminded of their vehicle's speed when they see someone overtaking them. Some riders suddenly overtake girls just to get noticed. 

I tried to list a few road problems above and only concentrated on what I usually observe while driving. People of Jabalpur and similar cities might relate to these problems. I tried to be sarcastic in many places but I am totally aware of the seriousness of this problem. I am a very small person to provide any solution. Hopefully this blog of mine will remind some sensible people of their responsibilities on road. My courtesy to all the sources from where I have taken the images to make this article beautiful.

My perspective is that everybody on road wants to reach somewhere safely. Since the feeling is mutual there should be an instinctive sense of respect and consideration towards other people on road. A person having good traffic sense will be happy and comfortable in any part of the world. 

When all's said and done, all roads lead to the same end. So it's not so much which road you take, as how you take it.

With this quotation I end my article here and invite you to share your experiences on road. 

Thanks for your time.

Ride Safe!!!