Why do Indians drive the way they do?
An interesting article that would provide us a wakeful ride when behind the wheels...(appeared in THE HINDU sometime back)
WHAT is it in our psyches that make us drive the way we do? What happens to us (who keep reminding the world ad nauseum of our glorious 5000-year-old civilisation) when we get behind the steering wheel of a motor vehicle?
One reason could be that the motor vehicle gives most of us more power than we could ever have and much more than most of us can handle. It becomes a weapon in our hands, and glory is, a weapon whose user is anonymous and hidden behind tinted windows. Of course, the bigger and more powerful the weapon the better — hence the popularity of SUVs. Even simple bus drivers have over one hundred passengers at their mercy, whom they can terrify and make sick at will, as they careen around mountain hairpins and overtake at the same time. (Not to mention every other road user, with or without a vehicle.)
Another well cited reason is that (usually for males) it is perceived to be macho to drive a powerful vehicle (long red sports cars or big chrome bikes are the usual cliché here) at an obscene speed. Of course, abuse this particular beastie (especially motorbike) even just a little bit and it'll scrape your face and brains (if any) off on the road and ensure that it all ends there and then.
Complex issue
Actually, what the above reveals is that we have a humongous inferiority complex working in tandem with cowardice of equal magnitude.
Inferiority because anyone who is comfortable with his station or position in life will have no need to go screaming down the wrong way of a one-way street at 100 kmph, or draw spaghetti lines while weaving in and out of traffic in order to draw attention to himself. And cowardice because he (or she) is doing this while anonymous behind those tinted windows, or smug in the knowledge that if he does mow down a dozen children he or she can always get away scot-free thanks to uncleji in Parliament or some such place.
It also, more disturbingly, shows us up as a people who are appallingly irresponsible, callous and who have devalued and degraded human life. Not much a progress report for a 5000-year-old civilisation is it? Worse, this can often become schizophrenic. The same person, so warm, helpful and caring in ordinary life, suddenly transmogrifies into a rabid, power-crazed Frankenstein when behind the wheel of a motor vehicle.
Rule of the road
There are other more simplistic reasons why we drive the way we do, though these are not excuses. Most Indian drivers do not seem to be aware of the existence of something called `rules of the road', forget what they are. (This does not mean you cannot be courteous.) The more foolhardy believe that if they are fated to meet a truck headlong at 100kmph because they are driving on the wrong side of the road, then so be it. If it is fated, why try to drive on the right side anyway, you can't defy fate can you?
The state of our roads and the state of our vehicles are also cited for blame. Public transport running on bald tyres on bad roads and with bad brakes is ` an accident' waiting to happen. Unmarked speedbreakers that send two wheelers into orbit are another danger. Again, are these `accidents' or the obvious results of sheer negligence and shameless disregard for human life?
Around 75,000-80,000 people are killed every year on our roads, in what we call road mishaps or accidents. We achieve this with far fewer vehicles per capita than most other countries. Sure, you may say, we also have one billion idiots jaywalking all over the place — how many other countries have to contend with that? Well, there are rules (and punishments) for jaywalkers too. And remember they're usually at the receiving end of your manoeuvrings behind the wheel.
It's not very difficult to change things. Remember, barbaric Indian drivers (and "death wish" jaywalkers) at home turn magically into law-abiding bunny-rabbits abroad. (Again, that cowardice!) Simply because driving tests are tough, laws are implemented rigorously and punishment is severe and exemplary and it doesn't matter who you are, or your uncleji is.
So let's not kid ourselves. It can be done and we would be a better more humane people for it (and more worthy of our 5000 year-old boast). Certainly it would be nice if it could be done before any of us, or anyone that we know and care about, is turned into roadkill by yet another psycho on the loose.
WHAT is it in our psyches that make us drive the way we do? What happens to us (who keep reminding the world ad nauseum of our glorious 5000-year-old civilisation) when we get behind the steering wheel of a motor vehicle?
One reason could be that the motor vehicle gives most of us more power than we could ever have and much more than most of us can handle. It becomes a weapon in our hands, and glory is, a weapon whose user is anonymous and hidden behind tinted windows. Of course, the bigger and more powerful the weapon the better — hence the popularity of SUVs. Even simple bus drivers have over one hundred passengers at their mercy, whom they can terrify and make sick at will, as they careen around mountain hairpins and overtake at the same time. (Not to mention every other road user, with or without a vehicle.)
Another well cited reason is that (usually for males) it is perceived to be macho to drive a powerful vehicle (long red sports cars or big chrome bikes are the usual cliché here) at an obscene speed. Of course, abuse this particular beastie (especially motorbike) even just a little bit and it'll scrape your face and brains (if any) off on the road and ensure that it all ends there and then.
Complex issue
Actually, what the above reveals is that we have a humongous inferiority complex working in tandem with cowardice of equal magnitude.
Inferiority because anyone who is comfortable with his station or position in life will have no need to go screaming down the wrong way of a one-way street at 100 kmph, or draw spaghetti lines while weaving in and out of traffic in order to draw attention to himself. And cowardice because he (or she) is doing this while anonymous behind those tinted windows, or smug in the knowledge that if he does mow down a dozen children he or she can always get away scot-free thanks to uncleji in Parliament or some such place.
It also, more disturbingly, shows us up as a people who are appallingly irresponsible, callous and who have devalued and degraded human life. Not much a progress report for a 5000-year-old civilisation is it? Worse, this can often become schizophrenic. The same person, so warm, helpful and caring in ordinary life, suddenly transmogrifies into a rabid, power-crazed Frankenstein when behind the wheel of a motor vehicle.
Rule of the road
There are other more simplistic reasons why we drive the way we do, though these are not excuses. Most Indian drivers do not seem to be aware of the existence of something called `rules of the road', forget what they are. (This does not mean you cannot be courteous.) The more foolhardy believe that if they are fated to meet a truck headlong at 100kmph because they are driving on the wrong side of the road, then so be it. If it is fated, why try to drive on the right side anyway, you can't defy fate can you?
The state of our roads and the state of our vehicles are also cited for blame. Public transport running on bald tyres on bad roads and with bad brakes is ` an accident' waiting to happen. Unmarked speedbreakers that send two wheelers into orbit are another danger. Again, are these `accidents' or the obvious results of sheer negligence and shameless disregard for human life?
Around 75,000-80,000 people are killed every year on our roads, in what we call road mishaps or accidents. We achieve this with far fewer vehicles per capita than most other countries. Sure, you may say, we also have one billion idiots jaywalking all over the place — how many other countries have to contend with that? Well, there are rules (and punishments) for jaywalkers too. And remember they're usually at the receiving end of your manoeuvrings behind the wheel.
It's not very difficult to change things. Remember, barbaric Indian drivers (and "death wish" jaywalkers) at home turn magically into law-abiding bunny-rabbits abroad. (Again, that cowardice!) Simply because driving tests are tough, laws are implemented rigorously and punishment is severe and exemplary and it doesn't matter who you are, or your uncleji is.
So let's not kid ourselves. It can be done and we would be a better more humane people for it (and more worthy of our 5000 year-old boast). Certainly it would be nice if it could be done before any of us, or anyone that we know and care about, is turned into roadkill by yet another psycho on the loose.
posted by Maha at 3:25 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home