junaid

I have read this blog at http://chennai.metblogs.com/archives..._proof_o.phtml what's your opinion?

If there's one thing about Chennai that drives me crazy, it's the traffic. Not the density of traffic, mind you, but the utter disregard for traffic rules, safety or common sense on the roads everyday. The traffic police often stand around watching the chaos benignly, without doing anything about it. With a large number of new cars and motorbikes coming on to the road every day, unless something is done to bring about some semblance of order, we're going see mayhem on the roads. Consider:

Buses and other vehicles routinely stand in the extreme left lane (the one meant for traffic turning left), then turn right into traffic going straight, cutting across the flow to take a right turn. This happens not just on any road, but even on the arterial Poonamallee High Road.

When a vehicle is turning say, left and has its left turn indicator on well before the turn, two wheelers and cars will still try and over take it on the left, cutting across the front of the turning vehicle even when its practically into the road its turning into.

Traffic routinely flows on both sides of dividers when there's heavy traffic resulting in a grid lock. Then everyone tries to 'adjust' until a police man comes along to try and sort it out. This pretty routine on the IT corridor, especially where there's a turn towards the Ascendas International Tech Park. With no traffic police in attendance.

The concept of 'merging' also doesn't exist on our roads. So if you are joining another road (or merging with that traffic), as you do at the Anna Flyover if you're turning left from Cathedral Road onto Anna Salai, you can expect that the traffic on Anna Salai will not allow you to merge but do their best to prevent you getting into the mainstream.

This happens even if you're turning on to the road. If you wait for a break in the traffic, when you do find one and start moving forward, the oncoming vehicle will speed up to ensure you can't turn in! If it slowed somewhat, everyone would gain, and in real terms, barely any time is lost or gained. In addition, when the oncoming car speeds up to prevent a car turning in, it becomes a contest for space, leading to dangerous driving.

Many of the people driving the majority of the vehicles are not drivers, but educated middle class people on the way to work or from it. And, of course, the two wheeler riders own their vehicles. Yet the moment the vehicle gets on to the road, it's a free for all. Granted many people may not know many of the rules of the road, but a lot of what happens boggles the mind because its sheer common sense, or concern for safety, that should prevent them from doing some of what they do.

If you're driving a car, it often feels like the two wheeler rider's safety is your responsibility, because they ride in such a way that you have to avoid hitting them by braking sharply or moving aside. When this happens time and again, it can get pretty frustrating. Many car drivers also drive like their sole purpose in life is to over take the car in front, taking all kinds of risks to pedestrians and two wheelers to achieve this on crowded roads. Yet you'll catch up with them at the next signal!

It would be so much easier for everyone on the road if the traffic followed the rules, flowed in an orderly manner, and waited patiently at a signal or when crowded to process through. The traffic police could help by regulating orderly traffic flow, and ensuring they let people know how they are expected to drive. Most of all, they should create wide spread awareness of basic road rules, and enforce them.

The real difference, of course, would be when everyone decided that no matter how the other guy drives, they are going to follow the rules, or be courteous to other vehicles on the road.

shubha

Traffic in Chennai is far better than most of the other Indian cities. Trust me when I tell u that. Chennai traffic is pathetic especially in the IT Highway(! - I dont why it is called so, since there is no road out there) People lacking common-sense is the big problem. Everyone knows most of the rules or as u point out correctly, they should care for their safety. In Chennai whereever u go, if u r travelling around the same time-period, the speed does not matters. The max difference it will give u is 5 mins.

"People should understand that 5 mins is not as important as someones life."

junaid

True but the point is we *are* the people. No offense meant Karthik, but I think all of us educated and aware people... do not hesitate to break rules when we are running late for work. And what do we say? Everyone does it and you need to do so in order to carry on.

What if, the next time, when someone behind honks real hard when the signal shows 3 more seconds for green, we stop and wait until we can go? Little acts like these, which will get us loads of curses from a majority of the crowd but might just make one other person realize that there are rules to be followed, are the need of the hour imho.

So when we say people lack common sense, I guess we are talking about ourselves . It would be wonderful if we could all discuss this thing and see if some useful and implementable solutions can be thought of.