A series of ghastly accidents on Karnataka’s highways claimed several lives over the past fortnight, throwing up many questions: Are highways safe? Or are drivers at fault? Are they unable to handle powerful vehicles on smooth roads which tempt them to speed? Or is it a casual disregard for highway rules? Whether a single road in the interiors or a 10-lane expressway, horrific accidents are becoming common, often due to human error -- advertent and inadvertent. Speeding, racing, risky overtaking, overcrowding of vehicles and a failure to adhere to rules are the most common causes of highway crashes. Transport officials admit that 70 per cent of road accidents are due to overspeeding and 90 per cent due to human error. Coupled with this is the disregard for safety measures like wearing seatbelts and lane discipline. Casual lane jumping is the cardinal sin that puts lives at risk.
One of the achievements of the Narendra Modi government is the network of excellent highways across the country, which require matching driving skills, especially as car manufacturers are developing more powerful engines and foreign car makers are bringing their best wares. That can make for a deadly combination. And drivers must remember that with great speed comes great responsibility. The compliance with strapping on seatbelts is of recent origin. While those in the front seats do it willy-nilly, backseat passengers ignore this safety measure. Until the accident which claimed billionaire Cyrus Mistry in September 2022 on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Expressway, the seatbelt did not get its due importance. Neither was it widely known that airbags do not deploy if the seatbelt is not strapped on.
Unfortunately, a casual attitude is inherent in us and our systems. How driving licences are doled out to youngsters exemplifies the lax attitude towards safety. Driving schools and touts play a big role in the process, with driving tests often perfunctory -- a far cry from the stringent testing done by transport authorities in many countries. This casualness is apparent in our daily driving routines, where even wearing helmets has to be enforced with strict fines.
Compounding this attitude are superbike and supercar enthusiasts who turn into social media influencers, like YouTuber Agastya Chauhan, who crashed his bike in an attempt to touch 300 kmph. Highway drivers must realise that speed is an uncontrollable demon and step back into the slow and safe lane.