It is time to take the signals seriously-Traffic rules

“The signal goes red. Old Aunt Dorothy was waiting patiently for a long time for the signal to change color in her favor. She neither had the strength nor courage to cross the road with the racing vehicles around her. Now she slowly started walking on the zebra crossing, with her stick for support. The medical store was just on the other side of the road. But she could not make it to the store. A man too engrossed in his cell phone, broke signal and claimed her remaining life. Aunt Dorothy will never need medicines again.”

Many a times we crib over the ailing traffic condition of India, the diseased safety system claiming numerous lives. But the hard core reality is, cribbing has not and will never help solve any problem. Before holding Government and its policies responsible, it’s high time to introspect. Did I ever and drink and drive? Did I always signal properly, changing lanes while driving? Did I ever call or text somebody while driving? Did I ever offer to bribe the traffic policeman, on getting caught for over speeding or signal breaking? Did I ever miss to put on the seat belt? The answers to these questions will be best answered by us. However the list is long, thought-provoking and never ending.

In order to eradicate a deadly disease, you will agree, that it’s important to first know the root cause. Talking of the unsafe road scenarios, one of the causes evidently is rash driving. Now if I carry out a “why why” analysis and try to get to the root of the problem.

Q. Why an unsafe condition is created?

A. Rash Driving is a probable reason.

Q. Why would someone drive rashly?

A. Either he/she can do it intentionally or in an emergency situation. In the first case its nothing but mental instability but in the later case it might be due to long waiting hours resulting from traffic jams.

Q. Why will there be a traffic jam?

A. Too many vehicles on the road and lead to it.

Amongst many other valid reasons, for unsafe situations, the above “why why” analysis clearly indicates, that too many vehicles on the road, is a very important one. An ideal solution to offload our roads, can be Carpooling. I firmly believe that the era has come when carpooling should no more just remain an option, IT SHOULD BE ENFORCED. It not only allows the roads to heave a sigh of relief, but also reduces carbon footprint. I assume my readers are fairly enlightened about the menace called “Global Warming”. And it’s high time to think above personal comforts.

Knowing and abiding to traffic rules is not enough. The Government or any other body can do just nothing, if we do not want to take our future seriously. A word of sympathy for an accident victim is not proof enough of our compassion. The victim can be anybody, you, me or someone else. The loss to the person or the family is irreparable.

It’s time to take the signals seriously, the signals of increasing toll of road accidents, the signals of heavy traffic jams and also the traffic signals alike. The population is increasing, so measures to control traffic explosion on the roads is of paramount importance. Take your life and the life of others on the roads seriously. While I think that counting all the road safety norms in my narrative will be wastage of space and time, as we all know them. But I still want to remind my readers, that not only calling but even texting can be dangerous during driving. Common! If you don’t want to over work, why will your brain want to? Let it be at peace and do one job with accuracy, a WhatsApp message can always wait! Don’t be a hazard to yourself and the society! Be and act responsible!

When I came across this topic on Indivine by “Nissan safety Driving Forum”, I was enthralled to be getting the chance to write about Road Safety. I salute Nissan for starting this awareness program, The Nissan Safety Driving Forum (NSDF), at this hour of grave need. When I went through their website, I was amazed to see the commendable efforts they are putting to improve our Nation’s road safety condition. They began in 2012 only with three cities and now they have spread their impact across several cities of India. With its core objective of safe driving behavior in India, it has touched the life of 2 lakh Indian citizens, with 126% growth in the sensitization of wearing seatbelts.  Under its Blue Citizen CSR umbrella it commits to contribute to developing a sustainable society. For more details you can log on to their website:https://www.nissan.in/innovation/NSDF.html

Adhering to traffic rules is a part of civilization. Which does not necessarily end with knowledge and practice by individuals. If societal change is what we aim at, the fruit is not so hanging. Yet the chances of achieving safe driving situation in our Nation will be more substantial if we work as a team. Do not hesitate to point to your cab chauffer, if he uses his mobile while driving. Talk and convenience your friends and family, never to drink and drive, even if they think they are in their senses. Point out to your neighbor, that his kid needs a safety belt too, to protect his little self, even if he is at the back seat. Encourage and practice carpooling, when ever possible. It’s our country and hence it’s our responsibility to help it sustain and grow. And lastly remember, we do not have the power of giving life, so we should not have the right to take it away, be human and behave human. It is high time to take the signals seriously!

Aritra Chakrabarty Sengupta