[sridhga]

All the arguments have so far been on the side of advocating restraint on the road users. But what I see is a major culprit viz Government. Having the proper rule/sign-board comes first. Following it or not following it comes later.

1.We do not have sign-boards.
2. Some situations in India we take them for granted until we travel abroad because we never have seen/imagined such a thing.
3. I lived for 5 years in a house located on the third most accident prone road in the US. It carried signs indicating things like. "An old man was killed here while crossing the street on so and so date etc."
4. Coming back to the Indian scenario,people stop vehicles for embarkment and disembarkment at street corners and junctions. This is because of the lack of proper driver education. Further the govt should identify such spots and put signs prohibiting the same.
5. Some times double-lanes are converted into single lanes without sign boards. There should be sign boards of the lane that is getting diverted well at a safe distance. In this case also the oncoming traffic ends up using a single lane giving up their other lane to this diversion. So oncoming traffic should also be notified in advance.
6. Our cities stop traffic light signals in the night time. They convert them into mere yellow blinkers in the night. Night time is more accident prone. Traffic lights must work 24/7 so that people do not take them casually. Do enforce them in the night by stationing mobile police interceptors. People will take them seriously.
7. Keep pavements clean so that pedistrians can use them. Then we can penalise jay-walking.
8. Insurance companies should offer slight concessions for people taking defensive driving lessons. etc. Insurance co.s, government, police departments, driving schools can offer defensive driving lessons

I am sure we can add more to this list as we start thinking on those lines.

[abk]

The posts by far have cumulatively covered most of the significant factors for causalities on Indian roads. What we havent seemed to have covered yet are the following points:

1. Driving habits of bus drivers: They, IMHO, seem to be the single bunch of most terrorising folks on Indian roads. Despite a lot of ineffective govt. checks their mindless & reckless driving behavioural pattern does not seem to have improved for years now.

2. Road rage & impatience of drivers and riders: Based on my experiences, by and large Indian drivers and motor bike riders are impatient. The degree varies across the length and breadth of our nation - from being outright brash to more considerate. This could well be connected to our larger social behavioural pattern, and not an attribute in isolation.

3. Stray animals on road: Weird but true! A colleague of mine crashed with his mobike on a bull and injured himself the night he was supposed to fly to the US.

4. Lane driving: Do the rickshaw pullers, cyclists, autos know what it is?

5. Parking & stopping habits: A significant portion of our driving brethren thinks roads are rightfully owned and therefore it is alright to park their vehicles or stop anywhere they like.

Personally, contrary to what i have heard so much, I find truck drivers to be the best behaved drivers on the roads. Albeit, there are exceptions. What can we learn from them? Sticking to lanes; smooth constant speed driving; indicate or wave overtakers; use dipper (from high to low and not the other way around) at nights; park the vehicle keeping in mind how to bother traffic the least; joyful and patient on the roads

Just a thought - like in a few countries (not sure if most) can we have driving license upgrades for motor cyclists? Say at the beginning subject to passing the driving test license valid for 100cc vehicles be issued. Only after 2 years of driving 100cc they be upgraded to 100-250 cc and next upgrade after another 2 years? Excited youths vroooming a 150-225 cc bike on the congested Indian roads is a potential nightmare. Any thoughts?

[strips007]

How many of BHPen will stop and help if you happen to be in an accident and you are in the bigger vehicle?

[Tejas@perioimpl]

Originally Posted by strips007

How many of BHPen will stop and help if you happen to be in an accident and you are in the bigger vehicle?

i have always stopped and helped people in accidents much to the chagrin of some of my friends who are with me at that time.

what difference does it make if the person is in the bigger car or not? if he's injured, help him. period.

[DKG]

Originally Posted by kutlee

How will you plan do this for a mass population?

A combination of legislation and mass awareness through newspaper and TV, which are powerful media. Also through adequate use of signage on roads, which are based on visual cues and don't require reliance on a particular language.

We do need to make a beginning. There was a time not too far back when most cars didn't have seat belts. Then legislation made it mandatory for mfgs to have them. Then laws were passed (or supposed to be passed) and through a awareness campaign, one sees a lot more people belting up. Sameway with helmets slowly I see more and more people using helmets. Insurance companies could comeup with a simple rule which denies insurance cover in the event a motorcyclist is found to have met with an accident without wearing a helmet. If the will is there a half a dozen tactics can be tried to educate the masses

[sam003]

Only one thing I can say which will going to resolve most of our Traffic related problem, which we can do with "RESPECT for OTHER DRIVER" which I feel is missing in all over India. Everyone feels like they are th king of Road and that belongs to them only. So have petience and build this, other thing will follow it.

[Mpower]

I'd like to know what percentage of those were in a car? Hardly any!

I am pretty sure most of these deaths were in 2-wheelers and pedestrians. We lost 2 of our own dear brothers in the past year while riding bikes.

[theMAG]

This news is not surprising at all in a system where no traffic rules exist. The only thing preventing higher death numbers are the clogged roads

[JagMan]

Traffic accidents and Driver attitudes are indicative of greater malaise in my opinion. Lack of respect for rules or authority is what causes most of these problems and many othes. I recently came across a book that has some what of a solution for this situation. Dont remember the title or the name of the auther and i havent read it completely yet... waiting for my friend to finish it then i will borrow it from him. This book was about what business can do to make themselves more successful. Its inspiration came from a theory on crime prevention that goes by the name of the broken window theory.

Fixing Broken Windows - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Seattle Police > Prevention & Safety

While educating people is important effective policing is very important in ensuring that people follow rules. And just because an infraction is insignificant it should not be overlooked and dealt as per rules.

The links above are just two of a whole list that a google search threw up. you will find a lot more with a little more searching.

[sridharps]

Originally Posted by Mpower

I'd like to know what percentage of those were in a car?

Precisely, the data nees to be a more granular to look at specifics. Otherwise, ABD,airbags are nice but we would be shooting in the dark.

[Mpower]

Originally Posted by theMAG

This news is not surprising at all in a system where no traffic rules exist. The only thing preventing higher death numbers are the clogged roads

Precisely! Shocking isin't it... with the average traffic speed like 20 kph !!!
Imagine if we built autobhans like Germany...its like giving a machine gun to a monkey!!

[bhp1]

From a Country that tops in population, topping the list of deaths in road accidents is expected!
From the most populated Country to the most no. of deaths is only natural!

[1100D]

The awareness can only come through enforcement. Make those cops responsible for every traffic death within their jurisdiction. Just like they have to fulfill an annual quota of fines, let there be a measure of the number of deaths attributed to their jurisdiction. Sort of a Goal-sheet. Otherwise, what motivation does the cop has to do his duty (of catching an offender, a potential killer)?

As for traffic education being part of the curriculum, I have seen many who already know, including myself, taking the opportunity to run across the road saving the hassle of walking upto the zebra crossing. Everytime, I am very sure nothing will happen just like the ones with whom something does happen.

Force those cops to catch me.

[Mpower]

Originally Posted by bhp1

From a Country that tops in population, topping the list of deaths in road accidents is expected!
From the most populated Country to the most no. of deaths is only natural!

Sure, but we have one of the lowest rates of 'per-capita' automobile ownership.

[rajtheindian]

Originally Posted by bhp1

From a Country that tops in population, topping the list of deaths in road accidents is expected!
From the most populated Country to the most no. of deaths is only natural!

But not a country tops in vehicle population