The road to danger

For every Bengalurean, big hoardings saying ‘Wear a helmet’, ‘Use the seat belt’ and ‘Stop at the red light’ are a common sight everyday. While most of us have made an attempt to abide by these rules, there are still a lot of people who just don’t care about obeying traffic rules — the simplest one being not using mobile phones while driving. This is one of the burning issues haunting the city and everyone is affected by it, be it the traffic cops or the commuters.

With the rising rates of accidents every year in the city, it’s high time people realised that it’s not just rash driving but also the use of mobile phones that can take away one’s life. Even after so many awareness programmes and rallies, there seems to be no effect on people.

R Hitendra, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), says, “This is a common everyday sight for us. Even after putting up warnings and posters, there seems to be no change.

Whenever we spot anyone talking on the phone while at the wheel, we fine them on the spot and register a charge against them. There have been instances of people meeting with accidents though thankfully, not major accidents. But why wait for something major to happen?”

He points out that the use of bluetooth devices is creating more issues these days. And this is common in the case of both two-wheelers and four-wheelers.

“People don’t understand that talking while driving is dangerous in itself. Be it mobile phones or hands-free, it makes no difference. Drivers tend to get distracted while talking and their concentration on the road drops,” details Hitendra.

It is good to keep oneself up to date but not wise to do so at the cost of one’s life. To avoid fines and penalties by traffic cops, people have come up with other ideas to talk on the phone.

While two-wheeler riders keep the phone between the helmet and their ears when riding, four-wheeler drivers are one step ahead. They suddenly drop the phone when they see a traffic cop at a distance and once they are gone, the conversation continues.

“Putting a fine on these people is not the ultimate solution. The real knowledge and awareness should come from the drivers themselves. There are a lot of awareness programmes organised for the public but if  there is no conscious effort from their side, nothing will change,” adds Hitendra.

Apart from mobile phones being a potential cause of distraction, they also add to the slow-moving traffic and congestion.

It’s true that the traffic scene in Bengaluru is unavoidable, so many people start playing games, sending texts or checking emails while being stuck in a traffic jam only to distract themselves. This leads to slow traffic movement, ultimately disrupting the traffic following them.

 Mohith Varkey, a professional who works with an advertising agency, says, “Drivers lose their concentration while they are engaged in making calls and drive really slow. This gets really annoying for people who are behind them as we have to keep honking and they don’t really care.”

“I have seen so many people do that, especially two-wheelers riders. I am always baffled looking at them. This is not advisable at all. I have seen many delivery boys do this as well,” he adds.

Mohith says it is time for people to reconsider what is more important. Phone calls and text messages can wait but the important thing is that one needs to get home safe.

There was this one time when Asra Khan, a graphic designer, took a cab only to find the driver constantly talking on the phone and driving rashly. She says that it was a scary experience. “There are so many times when I have come across two-wheeler riders talking over the phone and suddenly taking cuts and turns between the moving traffic.They really don’t understand how dangerous and life-threatening this can be,” says Asra.

And there have been times when she has yelled at them only to get yelled back at. This shows how ignorant some people are. “There are drivers who put on earphones with loud music and forget where they are. They can’t hear who is honking and who is saying what. This can only be considered as irresponsible,” she says.