The 10 Road Hazards In India that you should LOOKOUT for!

India has the second-largest road network in the world by size. It also has the second-highest population in the world. Connect the dots and it is easy to see why India has one of the highest numbers of fatalities. A significant percentage of these fatalities is caused due to driver negligence and lack of awareness of traffic rules. But, a majority of the accidents could have been avoided if only our roads were in better condition. There are countless hazards posing danger to the common man commuting on our roads.

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We have identified the ten most dangerous hazards on the road, taking lives every day somewhere in our huge and vast country. Read these and make sure you don’t fall into these traps while you’re on the road, driving peacefully and having a good time. 

1. People who drive on the wrong side of the road
   

   

   One of the simplest and most obvious rules when it comes to driving in India is that motorists should keep to the left side of the road. Anybody with a half a brain cell knows that. It takes zero effort, all you have to do practically follow the crowd. If in doubt, just ask somebody.

   Yet people can be careless to unbelievable extents. So much so that in 2018, 24 people were killed in road accidents involving wrong side drivers. It is a testament to the fact that the sky’s the limit for idiots aka maniac drivers out there, driving freely on the road as if it’s a video game they’re playing. If you have wondered if there is anything more useless than nutritional value information on ice cube packets, there lies your answer; deaths caused due to driving on the wrong side.

   The only way to stop such banal atrocity is severe punishment. Anybody who drives on the wrong side of the road should end up on the wrong side of the law. There really is no excuse for that, the distance or time one might save driving that way is in no way equatable to a life lost. Simply put, it’s an abhorrent and total disregard of road safety.

2. Potholes on the roads

   

   India is a country with a huge diversity of cultures and many festivals, most of them celebrated annually and all of them are official. But there is an unofficial festival celebrated all over the country, almost religiously, with unity and harmony by a particular group of govt officials in the PWD dept and the contractors that are assigned by them. It comes right after the rainy season when the roads are filled with a unique death trap called potholes. They come in all sizes and forms, from really small ones to ones that can pose a challenge to coal mines when it comes to depth, some larger than a mediocre Greek island. One of the reasons for the formation of potholes is continuous, never-ending use of the road by heavy vehicles and lack of maintenance.

   An interesting fact about potholes is that they’re like icebergs. You only see the surface, it’s almost impossible to gauge their depth until it’s too late, especially if you’re driving at a speed intended to put a Formula 1 race car to shame. Before you know it, the car is overturned and you’re severely injured or even crushed to death. It’s not a sight pleasant for the eyes. So next time you come across a pothole, remember: breaks are meant to be applied and there’s no better time to put them to use.

   Also Read: Pothole Damages On Indian Roads | An Epidemic

3. Stray animals (dogs, cows even humans!)
   

   

   India has a rich history of domesticating animals. For thousands of years, our lives and that of cows, sheep, dogs, horses etc and many more have been intertwined inextricably. Some are considered symbols of prestige, some purely for utility, some for sheer good luck, some for security, some out of love and some because you had one too many drinks and that cute puppy you took from the streets refused to leave. When all is said and done, what we have now is an overpopulation of animals on our roads because there’s simply too many of them roaming freely in our roads.

   At night, light does not reflect off these animals. It’s very hard to spot them in the dark and impossible when it’s foggy. Even if you do manage to spot them, it’s probably too late and so either you try to swerve and go offroading which is okay if you’re in a 4 wheel drive jeep but your regular commuter might find it too much to handle, resulting in bad injuries. 2267 people were killed in India in 2018 alone from collisions with stray animals. During the day time, you have no choice. The only option here is to try and swerve. You can expect to get away with a lot in India, but hitting a cow with an automobile in visible daylight is not one among them. So if you’re driving at night, make sure all your lights work properly and visibility is good.

4. Driver’s who don’t understand the concept of rearview mirrors
   

   

   Has anybody noticed a non-vegetarian at a buffet where both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes are served? They just walk right past the vegetarian dishes, some might stop for a second to take a look and maybe even admire it for a few seconds but that’s about it. They serve no purpose when it comes to filling their stomachs. The fate of outside rearview mirrors (ORM) is strikingly similar. Apparently, the only purpose they serve these days is to enable narcissistic tendencies such as admiring one’s protruding cheekbones, patches of unkempt facial hair or in rare cases a ghastly phenomenon called the pout. The mirrors close immediately once their daily routine is done.

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   As a result of considerably diminished visibility, these mad ladies and gentlemen jump lanes as if they’re standing in line at a fast-food chain waiting for the over-sized burger they ordered. What they fail to realize is the damage to themselves and to the daredevil coming from behind at some delirious speed is bound to be infinitely more worrisome than what would happen if you bump into an avg, criminally-obese, calorie consuming mammoth which is a common sight at such places. So drivers, never underestimate the use of your rearview mirrors. They’re extremely important when it comes to navigating your vehicles safely. Without them, you’d have to turn your head backwards and that can turn out to be murderous. Always make full use of your mirrors and avoid tailgating drivers who have their rearview mirrors closed like the plague.

5. Overloaded and oversized vehicles
   

   

   In 2018, The national highways comprised 1.94 % of the total road network in India. Various state highways constituted 2.97 % of the total length of roads. But 30.2 % of total road accidents and 35.7 % of all deaths happened in our national highways. State highways were not exactly lagging behind with 25.2 % and 26.8 % of total accidents and deaths respectively.

   Which means that a staggering 62 % of all deaths happened in just a measly 5 % of the total road length. The statistics do not seem to make sense, but it will when you think about it. What is common to the highways that are almost nonexistent to other roads?  Heavy vehicles. Overloaded heavy vehicles are the reason for 12% of all accident-related fatalities. Those are the ticking time bombs in our roads. Just waiting for a wrong turn or a hard brake to tip over and crush everything in their unfortunate path into oblivion. Despite the stringent laws in place, logistics companies have failed to comply with the maximum load allowed. No matter how many people die, nothing is going to stop them from carrying enormous loads across state borders.

   But there is a silver lining. It would be hard not to notice an elephant crawling on all fours on a road. The same goes for an overloaded truck too. You can’t miss and the danger is very real. The bomb might explode any minute, without any warnings. Nobody gets a memo. So improvise, adapt, overcome…do whatever you need to do but stay far and away and you shall be safe.

6. Drivers who constantly use high beams
   

   

   Most of us grew up with annoying siblings. One among the countless annoying things they always do is hold a brightly lit torch or a penetrating laser beam to your face and try and blind you for life. Drivers on the road seem to be on a similar mission, though they are not even related to you.
   A study of 3200 vehicles on 2500 km of single carriageway stretches on NH and SH of Punjab and Haryana discovered that drivers do not care if their high beams blind those coming from the opposite direction. The survey was done by the NGO ArriveSafe. They found that only 26.15 % of drivers used the dipper properly. An astonishing 48.3 % of the drivers continued on high beam and 25.53% dipped only for a few seconds and continued on high beam.

   The easiest explanation imaginable would be that most heavy vehicle drivers have little or no education. But the simple fact of the matter is that one does not need to be well-versed in the exploits of Emperor Shah Jahan or be able to solve differential calculus to drive. It’s not rocket science. As it turned out, 77.72 % of the so-called uneducated dipped properly and only 15.9 % of them continued on high beam.  5.36% dipped and then went back on high beam.

   So dear driver, use high beams wisely. Ideally, high beams must only be used in dark multi-lane highways with a proper road divider or in areas where there is low visibility. On a single lane/dividers-less road, high beams can blind traffic coming from the opposite direction causing poor judgement. Never under any circumstances should a high beam be used if there is a vehicle approaching from the opposite end.

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7. Drivers who tailgate
   

   

   All of us at some point have gone through the feeling of suffocation in a crowded bus or in an overpopulated metro when the friendly neighbourhood uncle hoovered a bit too close to home. We all need space to stand or to breathe at least. Likewise, vehicles need space too. To brake, to turn and pretty much do anything that you expect a vehicle to do. That does not always happen when the friendly neighbourhood uncle is in a car or even worse, a lorry. Because the heavier the vehicle, the more space it needs and vice versa.

   According to data collected from 130 crashes in NH 8 stretch from Jaipur to Gurgaon in 2014, tailgating caused 45% of the crashes. 17 % of all deaths in 2018 was a result of a vehicle ramming into another from the back. Tailgating is when a vehicle follows you close behind without allowing any space for sudden changes in the equilibrium such as braking or change of lanes or slight acceleration. There is not enough time to react. And before you know it, your vehicle is anally molested and you’re covered in blood. Worst cases end up dead. Next time you spot a tailgate, let them pass on because safety comes first. Always.

8. Aquaplaning during a rainfall
   

   

   Gravity is an unseen force of nature that we all take for granted. We exist the way we do now because of it. Likewise, friction is an obvious force which enjoys a huge role in our lives but one we fail to recognize or give importance to. We just take it for granted. But unlike gravity, the force of friction varies depending on the two surfaces that are in contact. During rainy season or any time the road is wet or if there is a spillage in oil or if the tyre condition is bad and offers no grip, there occurs a substantial reduction in traction.

   9.6 %  of all deaths i.e. 14,950 people lost their lives in wet weather conditions. It is essential to check your tyres before the rainy season begins. If needed, change them. Because the roads are already wet and driving around with a worn-out tyre is just inviting danger to yourselves. Also, never accelerate on a wet patch of road. That’s equivalent to accelerating towards death. So slow down and let the wet patches pass by.

9. Stationary/Broken down vehicles on the road
   

   

   There are many obstacles on our roads that actively contribute to ruining a pleasant driving experience for us. Literally just obstacles. They are omnipresent and they come in all sizes, shapes and forms imaginable. Like a parked/broken down vehicles to animals, stones, rocks, felled trees and debris from dividers or ongoing construction. Upon a collision, normally the vehicle comes to a halt. But in worst cases, the tyre will burst or the car overturns. However it goes, it won’t be a happy ending.

   Vehicle to stationary vehicles accounted for 8753 deaths in total in 2018 alone. It’s not illegal to park a vehicle on the side of a road (except no parking spaces). But there is a procedure to be followed. The hazard lamps/hazard triangle must be on/clearly visible. But when it comes to debris on the road, the only way to survive is to be alert and on the lookout for any obstructions along the way.

10. Rash and reckless drivers

    

    Alcohol and nicotine are two of the most addictive things that are legally accessible to everybody in the world above a certain age. The fact that they are injurious to health has never stopped people from consuming them. There is something about them that appeals to the inner Neanderthal in all of us. The excitement, the adrenaline that accompanies these acts of hedonistic pleasure is deeply sensual. The sentiment is similar when it comes to fast cars and bikes.

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    Overspeeding is the reason for the highest percentage of deaths relating to road accidents. Yet, nobody cares. Driving a fast car or a bike at fatal speeds is romanticised all over the world. Everybody is just looking for their little, momentary highs to keep their shallow, meaningless existence going. The pleasure one feels at extreme speeds, breaking all known traffic laws known to man is nothing short of orgasmic. Which is why so many people do it time and time again, despite the waste of life reported every year. In 2018 alone, 97000 people lost their lives due to speeding alone.

    Driving under the influence is a major reason compelling people to step and gas and propel themselves into unknown dimensions. If you happen to be lucky to get away with it once, you do it again and again. Till death comes knocking on your car doors.

Dear readers, stick to the speed limits and never drive under influence. You are a threat to yourselves and others if you do so.

On that note, we hope you are slightly more aware of the dangers lurking in our roads.  Have a nice and safe drive!