Random Forays | Let’s try to save some lives in 2025

Drunken driving is a choice, never a compulsion; many sensible seniors who like a drink, usually ensure that a sober friend is on the wheel while they’re bound homewards after a party

Human existence seems forever to be in the cliffhanger mode, We are like dew drops on a leaf, said the saint, so tellingly. Transient, ephemeral and impermanent are our lives after all. Time, in any case, is fleeting and racing ahead at breakneck speed. Even a healthy, “full course” life of 90 years, perhaps, might seem to have rocketed forth, towards its conclusion.

Many design flaws have led to “black spots” on our roads. Engineering departments must act on priority to rectify matters and alleviate these accident prone spots from their murderous avatars. (Shutterstock)

In any case, even a nonagenarian’s life is akin to a blip upon the vast and timeless landscape of the universe itself. What’s more, the cosmic forces offer no clue as to when and where one’s time would be up. The sheer uncertainty of the final moment is in stark contrast to the increasing certainness of the designated date when a baby is to roll into our cacophonous world.

To make matters worse, road safety is one of the most glaringly significant aspects of life that is largely neglected by our society. The hapless traffic police can only regulate matters to an extent. Conscious and self disciplined mass conduct on the road is the only way that the number of road accidents can be grossly reduced. Presently, the number of fatalities on our roads is way beyond global standards. Governments must do their bit by upgrading infrastructure, by better regulation and through awareness campaigns. But the generic consciousness of citizens on the road must be enhanced in order to prevent mishaps.

Even school students crossing a road carelessly or college students hanging from flimsy hand rails in doorways of trains and buses should know better. Saving time by adopting short cuts on the road, or in life, is a recipe for disaster. Anyone who is tempted to ply on the wrong side or jump a red light, might lose his own life in the process.

Jaywalking is commonplace not only on city roads but also on highways. High speed vehicle drivers have to be on tenterhooks most of the time, except on ultra modern (inaccessible to the pedestrian) roads. Animals can emerge out of nowhere on most Indian roads and put paid to all notions of seamless road transport. Municipal bodies are just not able to tackle even the wandering tendencies of human beings and simply cannot handle the problem of stray animals. In fact, animal lovers are at their wits end on how to ease the existence of strays who continue live a dog’s life.

Many design flaws have led to “black spots” on our roads. Engineering departments must act on priority to rectify matters and alleviate these accident prone spots from their murderous avatars.

Drunken driving is a choice, never a compulsion. Many sensible seniors who like a drink, usually ensure that a sober friend is on the wheel while they’re bound homewards after a party. Police checking is only a deterrent to some and can never yield comprehensive results in checking drunken driving accidents.

Certain sensible choices can ensure safer living conditions for most of us. Those who are compelled by circumstances to beg on the streets are sadly even more prone to life threatening situations. But daily commuters must avoid short cuts, over speeding, crazy overtaking and unnecessary transgressions, even while using the pedestrian mode of transport. And governments can save millions of rupees, in budgetary allocation, by ensuring road safety measures that involve strict implementation rather than installation of unending road dividing metallic fences.

Governments at the national, state and local levels are simply unable to cope with the immensity of India and its burgeoning populace. Road safety of the comprehensive and foolproof variety is almost an impossibility to attain. Individual citizens must take on the onus of shunning carelessness behind the wheel, on the pedal or on foot, in order to make our roads safer.

Carelessness and casual attitude may form a part of many mindsets overall, but each human being on the road must vow to be a more vigilant and diligent version of his own self.

School teachers rightly deduct marks for silly mistakes in class tests. But in the scorching examination of life itself, our next silly mistake might sadly be our last!

By observing the aforementioned, and other subtle nuances of prudent living, the risk of popping off earlier than the designated date of departure might just be mitigated. To an extent!

vivek.atray@gmail.com