Driving sense into motorists to reduce highway accidents
Transport authorities are attempting to bring in lane discipline in a country where highways are scarred by accidents, with a pilot project on the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway 48 in Karnataka. The project will utilise technology and CCTVs to track down violators and stop their journey at the following toll plaza. For starters, CCTVs will cover the most dangerous sections of the highway from Tumakuru to Belagavi. The butter-smooth NH-48, most parts of which have been upgraded to world-class levels, is meant for high-speed travel, but this is often jeopardised by drivers jumping lanes and swinging between heavy vehicles.
Lane discipline is certainly not a strong point among Indian drivers. In a bid to enforce safety and road etiquette, the authorities are laying down strict rules: Slow-moving heavy vehicles are to stay in the left lane, fast vehicles in the far right, while those travelling at moderate speed are to take the middle lane, and drivers who wish to switch lanes should use indicators. With 70% of road accidents caused by overspeeding and 90% due to human error, the new rules are a good initiative to streamline highway traffic.
The project is much needed in Karnataka, which has a total National Highways length of 13,565 km, and 408 black spots (accident-prone locations). The Hubballi-Dharwad bypass road, billed as the deadliest stretch in the country, is the only two-lane section of the 2,807-km long NH-48, running from Delhi to Tamil Nadu. In 2020, Karnataka saw 3,330 deaths on its national highways and 2,899 fatalities on state highways. The causes are many: motorists violate speed limits, generally 80 km/hour, and randomly change lanes. Poorly designed service and approach roads are another matter of concern.
While relying on technology, the initiative places the onus on the violator to pay up at the toll gate. This could lead to quarrels with toll plaza staff and pile-ups at the gates. Unless the project is implemented efficiently, it could go the way of FASTag, with cash still being accepted. Such an initiative also calls for steep fines, as a mere Rs 500 for lane jumping will fail to act as a deterrent. The transport ministry could take a leaf from how Singapore or Dubai levy penalties, which leave the driver poorer by Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000. Only when the penalty pinches the pocket will drivers be more conscious of rules.