Ensuring safety on roads
Every individual has a role to play.
The tragic road accident on Baramullah Highway at a time when we're observing Road Safety Week is such an ugly blemish on our face that we should get ashamed of it. Nothing has resulted in blood-soaked roads more that road accidents. Lenient road safety rules and personal irresponsibility matched with self-centered driving are among the main reasons behind these accidents. Stricter laws, patient and responsible driving combined with Road Safety Awareness content in the school curriculum may prove helpful in reducing these ever-increasing monstrous killer incidents on roads. It's for each and every individual to play his part in ensuring safety of life and property on roads.
The main reason why these passenger cabs-Sumos, Taveras, etc- meet with tragic and lethal accidents is that the drivers of these vehicles drive ferociously. Near-to-impossible overtaking, abrupt lane-crossing, occupying opposite lanes, non-maintenance of distance from other vehicles are some of the habits that almost each of these drivers have inculcated. Most of these passenger cabs may be seen dancing the dance of death on roads. From extreme overtaking to violent blowing of horns, these drivers drive as if they're in a race to hell. Every now and then, they can be seen kissing the rear of your car to overtake you. When there are traffic jams, they zoom through the opposite lane and, on reaching close to the opposite vehicle, they nip in their left front corner to enter the lane and, in the process, brush their noses against the vehicles who have been driving inch by inch along the halt. This scene can be found everywhere, particularly on junctions like Shalteng crossing, HMT. Whenever somebody scolds them on doing so, they give a ridiculous smile and zoom away from the spot. This is what leads to accidents like what we saw a few days back on Baramullah road.
Lack of personnel resources is definitely a problem faced by the Traffic Police. While talking to SP Traffic Srinagar, Haseeb-ur-Rehman, some months back, I discussed this and came to know about the inavailability of police personnel. True. However, this fact can't be denied that many cops on duty take huge bribes from these cab drivers and, in turn, let them go without punishment. It's comprehensible that police can't catch these drivers red handed while on straight highway roads and can't stop them from playing that overtaking game that I've already pointed out, but, what about this death-play that they do on junctions like HMT crossing? Can't the cops stop and punish the violators there?
Well, we all know these things but we don't play our part to stop this. It's the duty of each one of us to ensure safe driving and pave ways to motivate others too. Obviously, police can't do everything itself. Some part has to be played by the citizens too. I suggest some measures that may improve the safety of our roads and give some meaning to the Road Safety Week that we claim to observe this week.
1. Introducing a Road Safety content in the school curriculum: It has been found that what students learn in their schools has a long lasting impression over them. It's very likely that if they're taught about the decent way to drive on roads, they'll take it all the way in future and motivate others too. A Road Safety Literary may prove beneficial.
2. Ensuring and Supervising Compliance to Road Safety Rules by Schools, Colleges and Universities: How many school, college and university authorities look into this. The students who come to school on bikes may be questioned: Are you 18 years of age? Do you have a Driving License? Are you wearing a helmet? Similarly, students who come in cars may also be interrogated. The school intervention in this matter is really important and necessary. I understand that this is not going to make all the difference but, it's going to make some difference.
3. Parents' Intervention: Parents have the most crucial and the most important role to play. Don't allow your wards to drive without compliance to all road-safety rules. Don't encourage your minors to drive. Don't encourage your wards to escape punishment if they violate any law. First of all, parents will have to check their own practices. If you don't wear a seatbelt, you can't motivate your son to wear a seatbelt! Don't teach them how to escape compliance to laws.
4. Responsibility of the passengers: It's the responsibility of the passengers also that they should interfere if the driver drives at extremely high speed or makes near-to-impossible overtaking. Passengers, especially those travelling in cabs, should scold the driver if he makes deadly lane-crossing or any of the dangerous actions that I discussed in this writeup. It's your right to ensure safe travel.
Road Safety can be achieved when everybody plays his part and understands that charity begins from the home. This week, we are observing Road Safety Week. The need of the hour is to devise a stricter road safety policy and ensure serious punishment to the violators. This is not enough. A sense of responsibility and personal improvement and understanding is required. Public and police must work hand in hand in this cause. That will give some meaning to Road Safety Week.