Kerala

Make driving licence test more stringent

The proposed measures of tough test for issuing licence and deterrent punishment for drunk driving form only part of, what may be called, an integrated drive against road accidents.

More and more modern technological aid should be made available to the traffic police to detect even the most minor traffic infraction. External interference should be thwarted when police deal with traffic cases. As far as possible, the traffic department should be revamped with persons of integrity.

It is imperative that we develop a civilized public space culture. An awareness campaign must be launched at the school level to inculcate the traffic canons and a good road sense.

N. Sadasivan Pillai

Camp: Guntakal

It is a good step on the part of the government to impose imprisonment penalty on drunken drivers and also punish the pillion rider or co-passenger as he is also liable because he travels along with a drunken driver. Most of the accidents happen due to rash and negligent driving.

Stringent action should be taken against these people by cancelling the driving licence, imposition of rigorous imprisonment and penalty up to the cost of the vehicle.

At present, the police seem interested only in catching drivers who do not carry with them original or copies of driving licence, Registration Certificate, pollution certificate, tax token or insurance.

If the papers are not in the vehicle, at the most, the police can ask the owner to produce the same at the police station within a day or two and no penalty should be imposed.

P. Sankaranarayanan

Petta

Most of the accidents happen because of bad driving and the poor condition of the roads. Drivers should be given sufficient training. Punishment should be given for rash driving, overtaking, sounding horn, overloading and driving without licence and other documents.

Many youths drive vehicles without valid papers and if caught by the police, usually, political leaders bail them out. The condition of the roads in the State is very bad.

Sreelakshmi Sankar

Kochi

The number of vehicles coming on to the roads in the State is increasing day by day, but the old vehicles are not being taken off service. If pooling system is arranged, or if people depend on public transport, the problems will be reduced. If the public transport system is made more effective and awareness is spread through newspaper, radio and television, about high fuel prices, pollution and other hazards, there is every chance of the common man going for the public transport system.

S.N. Panicker

Poonithura

A tougher test for issuing driving licences and deterrent punishment for drunken driving will go a long way to check the alarming rate of accidents on our roads but they do not provide a remedy for many ailments of the system.

We require a more thorough surveillance system so that any violation of traffic discipline is brought to book.

A. M. Narayanan

Punkunnam

To check road accidents, what needs to be done primarily is to educate the people and the drivers alike on traffic rules. While more emphasis can be made through textbooks at the school/college level for students, drivers can be exposed to better understanding of their sense of obligations at the time of receiving training or driving tests. The public at large can be given tips of their social obligations through media, leaflets, signboards or the like.

Simultaneously, to cater to the needs of increasing number of vehicles, more and more roads should be developed and maintained. At the same time, it must also be ensured that the vehicles plying around are roadworthy and the ones not meeting the safety standards should be ordered off the roads. An example of lack of safety is vehicles plying without wipers during heavy rain.

The traffic police, instead of still relying on conventional methods, should use modern techniques and equipment to enable them to discharge their duties more effectively and to catch the offenders by hand.

Ambalath Aboobackar

Pavaratty

All road accidents are caused not because of lack of driving skills. Various reasons contribute to the occurrence of accidents. Error of judgement can happen even to an expert driver. Carelessness on the part of an oncoming vehicle could be a reason.

Bad and dilapidated condition of the roads adds to the chances of accidents. In Kerala pedestrians are a neglected lot.

Road sense has to be inculcated among the public. Badly-lit highways and bad and improper traffic signs also have the share to contribute to the increasing number of accidents.

A thorough scientific study to understand the reasons leading to accidents should be carried out and matters should be sorted out according to the findings. Regulations regarding fitting of speed governors on heavy vehicles are either not implemented fully or being ignored.

Stringent tests for issue of driving licence is a step in the right direction.

P. Surendranath

Palarivattom

For safer roads, we should have better drivers. Driving is an art. Learning that art from a non-professional leads to peril.

Our present driving institutes and the instructors are sub-standard. Analyse any road accident, we find an erring driver, because of the skill they learned from a non-professional. Existing driving institutes and the way they teach the skill should be evaluated.

The Road Transport Authority should fix some criteria for a qualified instructor. They have to pass a test based on that standard. Only then an `instructor badge’ should be issued to them. Let them teach driving in a professional and qualitative way.

Jacob Mamooden

Alappuzha

Tightening the rules is no doubt a step in the right direction.

Most of the accidents are due to human error and a few due to mechanical error. Roads in disrepair also contribute to accidents.

Imprisonment for drunken driving is a welcome step.

Many of our roads are not motorable.

P. V. Divakaran

Thrissur

Road accidents can be reduced by proper government action and whole-hearted public support.

The city witnesses numerous accidents mainly due to lack of patience.

The two-wheelers utilize unlimited freedom available to them at the cost of the pedestrians’ lives.

On the other hand, bus drivers and other heavy vehicle drivers also show their `power’ on the roads. Nowadays, every single person who uses roads fails to understand that every other fellow being too enjoys the same right to use the roads.

The lane-traffic system, if introduced can bring in considerable changes.

The police should not only bring into book those who do not wear helmets/seat belts but also those rash riders who use extremely loud horns.

Krishna K.

Maradu

The spurt in road accidents has driven the government to come up with certain measures to tone up the system which has all along remained ineffective.

The test for issuing driving licence at present is no better than a farce.

In the case of today’s roads choked with all types of vehicles, mere knowledge of brake-clutch-accelerator functioning plus control of the steering wheel is thoroughly inadequate.

With hi-tech vehicles and two wheelers dominating the ill-maintained roads, motoring has become hazardous and challenging. Lack of respect for and knowledge in motor driving regulations and rules of the road is a major cause for mishaps.

The present system is dominated by manipulations. The doctor’s certificate is an example.

In order to prevent this foul play, a medical board comprising competent and honest medical practitioners including a psychologist needs to be constituted. Persons with impaired hearing and vision should not get a driving licence as at present.

The intervention of auto consultants alias motor driving school operators in office work is to be done away with.

N.K. Vijayan

Kizhakkambalam

The move of the government to introduce tougher test for issuing driving licence and deterrent punishment such as imprisonment for drunk driving is welcome.

It will certainly lead to transparency in the entire structure of traffic and its machinery.

It is also a fact that to drive a vehicle smoothly roads should be left free and wide. The authorities should initiate action to clear all obstacles on the road. Widening roads is also a advisable step to ensure a healthy driving, since number of vehicles in the state has increased by lakhs. Without new roads, no state can develop as to its requirements.

The law enforcing authorities should ensure that footpaths are not encroached upon by shopkeepers and vendors and see that roads and footpaths are well-maintained.

Davis Vithayathil

Thripunithura

The move to mete out harsher punishment including rigorous imprisonment to those causing fatal accidents due to sheer negligence and carelessness needs to be pursued in all its earnestness. Cancellation of licences of those driving drunk and others who violate traffic rules should be done. Simultaneously, to make accidents not a regular feature on our roads the development of roads also should be taken up seriously. Waterways should be exploited for transportation of non-perishable goods..

Construction of flyovers and subways is a sine qua non for smooth flow of traffic. The ultimate objective should be to reduce the traffic density on our already congested roads. Maintenance of roads for a specific period should also be incorporated as a clause while awarding road-building contracts.

R. Unni Krishnan

Edapally

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