A wise man once said that the character of a nation can be judged
by how its people drive on the streets
Road sense on Indian streets is often completely missing. The consequent chaos is on display for the whole world to mock and laugh by way of hundreds of videos on Youtube. Being a psychiatrist, I have always wondered and tried to understand the genesis of the pathology or indiscipline on Indian roads. Over time I have come up with a few theories, some I have discarded myself. I will, however, present to the interested reader below -
Indian masses have been subjugated and ruled over by others ''foreign powers'' for hundreds of years. People were left powerless and enslaved. Could it be that the chronic dis-empowerment of the masses has led to a paradoxical ''abuse of the freedom'' we gained about 60 years ago?
Then there is the Maslow's hierarchy of needs. As seen in the diagram below, the basic needs of hunger and safety (security is a better word) need to be fulfilled before being able to move to more civil ways of living, eventually leading to self-actualisation. Again, could it be that the since gaining freedom we have struggled with ''poverty'' and hence for huge majority रोटी, कपडा और मकान is a bigger challenge to think and deal with rather than road safety.
But then look at the roads in South Africa, despite a similar history to ours and years of subjugation, lack of freedom and economic instability, their roads are far better than those in India with regards discipline and following of the traffic rules.
Maybe then the Western / UK drivers can follow rules more easily as the roads are bigger and the number of vehicles very few. Perhaps they can do so because they do not have multiple modes of transport (rickshaw, motorbikes et al). Or could it be that their road signage is so good that drivers find it easier to follow rules? In reality, though, many Western cities have population densities similar to ours. In the Western world 80% use personal vehicles, this means car densities may be even higher than those seen on Indian roads. Most EU cities are historical and do not always have wide roads. Congestion and traffic jams are common, but one hardly ever hears any honking. And rules are followed by all, including those on bikes, cycles, mobility scooters, buses, truck drivers.....the lot. In fact, as explained on my FAQ, The videos are even more relevant to 2/3 wheel drivers. Often these vehicles do not have mirrors (definitely there is no rear view). This then makes checking blind spot more important for such drivers. The principle of MSM (video 2), dealing with traffic lights, dealing with junctions (giving way), dealing with roundabouts, speed limits, keeping safe distance (far more important for 2-wheelers which take longer to stop than cars), tailgating and the biggest of all - showing courtesy - everything applies to all types of vehicles, cyclists included.
Could it be that the Indian culture and tradition of hospitality was lost by us over centuries? Some of our behaviours like spitting across each other face, littering, honking at each other and lack of consideration for fellow humans on our roads suggest this is a huge problem. But then will this be a reason for our poor record on road safety and indiscipline? Now the Western culture is not any more courteous or better than ours. From mugging to gun crime, all vices are rife in most cities. In fact, ethical and moral violations are as common (if not more) in the Western world. I am hence inclined to think this in itself does not completely explain the chaos on Indian roads.
The other possible explanation is the ''power equation''. Being a populated country, there is competition right from the word go. We have to struggle to get places in schools, universities, and jobs. It is cut-throat. Perhaps this habitual competitive streak which we end up with is seen on our roads as well, where every vehicle driver tries to occupy every inch available at the cost of road safety and discipline. The other related thought is the powerlessness one experiences in our lives. My doctor colleagues render patients powerless, as a doctor in a bus, the conductor renders me powerless. The बाबू अ at the window or the telephone company man or the civic official meant to rectify the water supply...... the person in the seat of power constantly leaves the other feeling vulnerable and weak. Almost habitually then, perhaps the driver of a vehicle, suddenly finds himself/herself in the seat of power and ruthlessly deems or makes an effort to deem everyone else, especially the pedestrians completely powerless.
However, all the above happens between every interacting human across the globe and yet traffic discipline in many countries is superior to that in India. One final piece of the jigsaw is ''education and awareness''. Yet, it is not formal education (whether one completed schooling) that matters. What matters is driver education and training which instills the right road habits at the outset. Britain has one of the toughest driving tests which can be taken even by school dropouts, the point is by the time one passes the test, the correct road etiquette is ingrained into the drivers. The Highway Code introduced in the UK in the 1920s made one of the most significant differences to road safety - only 46% pass the driving test on the first attempt!
I would think that the above covers numerous possibilities. To me, it is know-how and training at the outset which is useful. This includes know-how which traffic authorities need to have. This very nicely brings me to collate my thoughts on how Indian road traffic can be reformed. Hopefully, I will post the latter in the coming weeks, but in summary, it will boil down to the 3Es - Education of drivers, Engineering of Roads (not flyovers, but things like road markings, refuge areas, etc.) and finally enforcement of the law in a stringent manner.