Oh Engineer ! Where Art thou ?

The other day, when I was driving to BIAL on NH-7 to pick my sister and her family, a few kilometers from Devenhalli, I had a near miss (Near hit rather). On the 3 lane road, there was a truck on the middle lane and there was another motor cycle going on the right most lane, both well below speed limits. I put on my indicator and shifted to the left most lane and over took the truck. As soon as I crossed the truck, to my horror I saw the motor cycle cutting right across the lanes and directly coming towards me in the opposite direction. I swerved to the shoulder braking with all my might - the car fish tailed and finally came to a stop missing the metal support girders on the left. Of course, the motor cyclist and his pillion rider survived without a scratch and as I stopped and got out the car, mouthing expletives (I only know a few in kannada and they are outdated I guess) , I found both of them grinning ... and casually continue to drive on the shoulder opposite to the traffic flow away from me.

One thing in India is certain, the common man has absolutely no respect for traffic rules, safety norms and common sense to survive on highways. Every other driver on the highway has graduated from cycle to motor cycle to auto rickshaw to car to truck. Including the traffic cops and the contractor who paints the roads, and install road signs, not many know the difference between a broken white line v/s a solid white line v/s a solid double line v/s a yellow line on roads. Example to point, a few years back, when I was in MN met an YADE (Yet-Another-Desi-Engineer) who had come very recently to the US. He was of course driving a car in India and using his IDP had managed to rent a car. He was a good driver no doubt. While we were conversing about projects, India/US, groceries, culture and other things at lunch in the cafeteria, he asked me why Americans were so stupid and left entire lane free while crowding on center of highways. He had a entire lane all by himself on I-94, which he had used to drive from his accomodation to work. The place where he stayed was only a few miles from work though. On probing further, I understood that he had driven on the shoulder part of Interstate of I-94 for a few miles !!! So, for many of us, even the concept of "shoulder" on a road is quite alien.

Well, if basic knowledge of traffic rules, norms is as above with Engineers (including yours truly), guess the fate of average citizens and the farmer who has to drive his tractor across NH-7 to deliver his farm produce.. There are many many accidents just waiting to happen.

There are numerous other examples(big and small) right in front of our collective eyes, which illustrates the utter lack of "traffic sense" in our collective brains. For example :

• No left turn sign which sometimes says "No Free left turn" when you read the fine print.


• Traffic lights which are more like disco lights randomly switching from red to yellow to green on some of the city main roads.


• A no entry sign with arrows in both directions one with a strike off with red cross band. Unless I stop the car and study the sign for a few seconds, it is difficult to comprehend which direction the traffic is allowed and not allowed.


• Humps which suddenly appear on the road and disappear with no clear markings.


• multiple lanes converging suddenly and at least finding twice the number of lanes of vehicles at all traffic stops than actually marked on the road.


• Traffic rules - stop and go having a chance of being followed only when a police constable is manning the intersection.

The list is endless and could go on and on. The point is, yes we have a huge problem. I think the cause is probably because we don't have a good system to develop standards, implement them and enforce the same. As an Engineer, I find the "development" part the primary cause rather than the implementation and enforcement. Some time back, Jack Welch, former CEO, GE, responded thus to an Indian correspondent when questioned "what do you find amazing about India?". It amazed him how Engineers in India were able to build such a complicated thing as software but failed to build something simple as a road. I probably don't have his exact words, but his words are really profound.

So, as I ponder about my survival after the incident on NH-7, as an Engineer from KARENG 574157 days, what is it that I have done or not done since then to help the situation. One thing that didn't definitely help is my branch change from Civil Engineering. If I remained in Civil, I think I could have contributed in somewhat better way apart from making tonnes of money in Bangalore's booming real estate market. Also, I think about most of my brethren who have become CEOs, CFOs, CMOs, directors, bankers, professors, builders and some home makers - All noble and well rewarding life/careers, but what they could do to help issues like above(including yours truly).

To solve a basic infrastructure issue like traffic, Oh Engineer ! Where art thou ?

And next time you drive on a highway (or what appears to be one), please wear your seat belts.