Making driving safer in India

According to figures released by the Centre, more than 140,000 people were killed on Indian roads last year, making them among the deadliest in the world. The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways is of the view that 77 per cent of accidents happen due to the driver’s fault.

How does one explain this grim state of affairs? The devil, as is often said, lies in the details. Consider this: in the UK, only 40-43 per cent of those who apply for a driving licence pass the test. As a result, aspiring drivers are forced to undergo training from accredited trainers and spend the Indian equivalent of ₹80,000 on an average.

In India, you can get a driver licence delivered to your home without even taking a test. Because there is little control over who gets to drive and who does not, enforcement becomes a dodgy affair.

The issue gets further exacerbated by the fact that there is no central database for licences. Neither is there any clarity or official certification for drivers’ training, no accredited curricula, training material, or any semblance of a process that can ensure that the person who gets behind the wheel, is qualified to do so.

Compare this to Sweden, where only three of every 100,000 Swedes die due to road accidents. Meticulous planning, barriers separating pedestrian zones, low speed limits and strict policing are some of the hallmarks of the Swedish road safety campaigners and government associations.

To be able to replicate even some of this in India, a logical starting point should be the driver’s tryst with his vehicle: his licence.

As per the law, the Regional Transport Officer authorised to issue a driving licence needs to ensure that the applicant understands traffic rules and knows how to drive!

However, with more than one crore licences issued every year and growing at seven to 10 per cent annually, the Centre has not invested enough into resources to test every person seeking a licence, thereby allowing untrained and unsafe drivers to handle vehicles.

That said, Vadodara is a good example of a proactive State government committed to road safety: Gujarat introduced a sensor-based automated testing system for drivers applying for licences.

Since the introduction of this automated test, the pass percentage dropped sharply from 100 to 40. The domino effect in this process was equally interesting.

Individuals who failed the test had no choice but to polish their skills. Many enrolled in good quality driving schools to perfect their driving and repeat the test.

The driving schools, in turn, were forced to adopt better methods of training.

Today, while there is no conclusive data connecting this to road fatalities, the measure has encouraged license seekers to take driving training seriously, and made driving schools more responsible and legitimate in their dealings.

While these are encouraging early signs, the road ahead is a long and arduous one. And for driving to be hazard-free, there is a need to approach the licensing process scientifically and methodically.

A centralised organisation that is responsible for the issuance of licences, automated testing mechanisms that obliterate any scope for foul play or human intervention, a centralised accreditation system for driving schools to make them more accountable and alert – these are crucial steps that must be taken to make our streets safe.

More than anything else, there is a need for a mindset change and consequently, a behavioural change. Driving needs to be given its due importance as something that needs to be studied, practiced and tested. Licences need to be earned – not assumed. Let’s start there.

The writer is Senior Advisor, Driving Training, Maruti Suzuki

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