A joyride on an expressway in Bengaluru, with a woman sitting side-saddle on her boyfriend’s lap, recently caught the public’s imagination. A family indulged in similar risky behaviour on a scooter, riding with their small child standing on the pillion’s footrest, exposed to passing vehicles on a crowded road in Whitefield. In both cases, the riders were helmetless, committing culpable negligence.
In Tiruchirappalli, a young man was filmed riding on the narrow divider of a river bridge. Popping wheelies is another popular stunt with devil-may-care youngsters. These deliberate flirtations with danger put both the riders and other road users at risk, and it is left to an outraged public to demand action. The Bengaluru Traffic Police promptly arrested the love-struck youngster for his recklessness, and have also cracked down on those performing wheelies. Till now this year, the city police have registered 1,263 cases of reckless driving, compared to 3,178 in 2023.
Transport ministry data shows at least one person dies every three minutes on Indian roads. Human error and behaviour are most often to blame, including overspeeding, drunk driving, failure to wear seatbelts and helmets, besides inadequate traffic infrastructure. In a record of sorts, Karnataka saw 51 deaths in 24 hours this past weekend. With the Pune Porsche tragedy casting a shadow on road safety, it is imperative to check risky behaviours like driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs or medicines, disregard for lane rules, and distractions like checking mobiles. Thrill seekers only add to these dangers.
In our cities, where traffic volumes are high and driving requires utmost caution, a lack of road etiquette compromises safety. The root cause is the casual attitude towards training adopted by driving schools and transport authorities, and the almost automatic issue of licences to young drivers and riders. Stringent tests on road rules and etiquette should be included as a key aspect of training.
The Bengaluru Traffic Police has gone one step ahead and approached the education department to include road safety lessons in school curriculum, and even designed a syllabus for primary and middle school students to inculcate road discipline. Such concern is laudable. With technological advancements also trying to improve safety, it is up to riders and drivers to behave responsibly and stop turning the road into a stunt stage.