Disciplined Traffic, Organized Nation

It is said that if you want to study the psychology of a nation, you must stand on a high building on the side of a busy road or intersection and watch the way the traffic moves. It is very interesting to see how people of the world use the roads. It is especially very interesting view in a third-world country like India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, or some countries in Africa, Latin America or Far-East where there are varieties of vehicles and other moving objects which people use on the roads.

In addition to the four-wheel auto vehicles, there are auto rickshaws, horse-drawn carriages called ‘Tongas’, bullock, donkey, camel-driven and human-driven carts for carrying loads, motor-bikes and bicycles. Then, there are people on foot, the shepherds leading their cattle or sheep back home. You might have seen some young shepherds riding their buffaloes or donkeys on the road. There seems to be hardly any space on the road and it looks like a miracle how the traffic is moving without causing a dent to the other vehicles.

Once, I was looking for a parking place in Rawalpindi, Saddar, a very old main market and famous shopping centre of one of the large cities of Pakistan. It used to be the capital city of the country before Islamabad was constructed. It was a terribly congested area when I visited it. I could hardly find a proper space where I could park my car. I couldn’t find any organized parking lot. All I could see was a storm of people on foot and on varieties of vehicles. Mostly the people were on motorbikes and bicycles. The noise and smoke produced by the auto engines plus the blowing of horns was maddening.  I found it difficult to breathe because all I could inhale was nothing but smoke. I saw a traffic cop among the multitude of crowd. The vehicles were inching on very slowly with their horns blaring. As I managed to pass by him I asked him if there was any chance of finding a parking place. Poor guy showed his helplessness in the mad crowd. It took me more than an hour to come out of the mess. It was a terrible experience for me especially when one is allergic to smoke and noise.

The behavior of the people at the traffic signal is also worth observing. Although they stop at the red signal, nobody seems to follow the tracks/lanes or road signs which are clearly visible because they are regularly repainted by the city administration. The lanes are very clearly marked but you will rarely see anybody driving inside the lanes. People are moving in and out of the lanes without using appropriate signals. The moment cars stop at the traffic signal, the motor-bikers would move from behind and stop right in front of the cars or large vehicles even crossing the stop line completely disregarding the rules of the traffic. Not only that, the bikers would keep zigzagging through the line of cars and keep crowding in front of the cars close to the traffic signal’s white line. There appears to be no fear or respect for the road-safety laws among them despite the fact that the traffic cop is standing right there.

I had an opportunity to work on a research project of “Psychological Attitudes of towards Highway Safety”. It was a study conducted by the Government of Pakistan’s Depart of Road Transport. During the study I met several professional drivers. It was appalling to learn that a large majority of drivers did not know the meaning of ‘dotted or solid line’ or the mandatory ‘Stop’ sign.

The awareness of the rules of road safety is very essential in this age where life is becoming very much dependent upon the use of vehicles and transportation. I remember that when I was a school student of 10 or twelve years I learnt how to ride a bike. Soon after that I started riding through the narrow lanes of the small, little town of Bannu where I spent my childhood and early college life. One day while riding the bike I suddenly took a turn to the right without giving a hand indication. I was hit by a motorbike. I saw myself flying in the air together with my bike. I fell down but fortunately I landed safely. That day I realized how important it is to learn the road safety rules and practice them so thoroughly that they become part of our habits.

Compared to the Asian, African or Latin American countries, the road traffic in the West or the Developed countries is far better. You will see people using the road according to the road-safety rules. There appears to be a fear or respect for the traffic rules. The law-enforcing agencies are quiet strict in imposing the traffic safety laws. In Canada, one cannot carry a child younger than five years without properly using a child-seat. Every passenger must use seat belt. There are of course some guys everywhere who find opportunities to violate the rules of the game. Some of them are caught and get penalized. What I like about traffic in developed countries is the appropriate use of ‘the right of way’. It’s a joy to note how obediently everybody follows the rules of the stop sign even though there is never a cop around anywhere. The traffic not only stops for the school children or people on foot, the vehicles will stop for even the ducks crossing the street.

I have found Japanese nation very disciplined and polite regarding the road-safety rules. The road users show a lot of tolerance and patience in using the road. You will rarely see Japanese breaking the queue. They will just follow the lanes. They also show a great respect for the pedestrians. One day I and my wife were waiting to cross a street. There was no zebra or pedestrian crossing in that section of the suburban street. Due to rainfall there were water puddles on the road. We were waiting for the traffic to move. We thought of crossing when the street was empty so that the water would not splash of on us by the movement of vehicles. We were surprised, rather much embarrassed, to see that the traffic on both sides had stopped waiting for us to cross the street. I still remember that day and admire the respect and politeness of the Japanese nation for the pedestrians. In Japan you do not see a police cop monitoring the traffic. The people are in the habit of following the rules with discipline and organization. The values of honesty and discipline have seeped into their genetic code. What a great nation.

I have spent quite a long time in Kuwait. It’s an oil rich country, a welfare state with no taxes. The small, little country has a network of very wide motorways of international standards. The Kuwaitis like to drive the latest models of very expensive vehicles. The government has been trying to find ways how to implement the road safety rules in order to make the life safe for road users. Statistically speaking, Kuwait is listed in the top ranking countries with the highest number of accidents. Despite the fact that there are speed control cameras, the Kuwaiti youth have yet to develop the habit of following the rules of the road use. I had a chance to speak one day to a young boy of 16 years who had a flashy BMW. He told me that he had been driving cars without license since a long time. I asked him if he was ever apprehended by the police. “Several times”, he said, “But my mother is a very influential person and gets me out of the lock-up every time I get caught”.  This is very typical of not only Kuwaiti society but of all The Gulf States. Lately, however, the government has become quiet firm on making the roads safe for the public. I do hope that the situation improves with the passage of time.

Nevertheless, I would not hesitate to mention here that driving of vehicles and general attitude of public towards road use in the Sultanate of Oman is indeed appreciable. I was impressed by their attitude of giving the right of way to other road users. In the capital of Muscat you will see traffic moving very smoothly and with great discipline. The police are also very vigilant and would not spare anyone violating the rules of road safety.

As science is advancing in its research in every area of human life, new technology in the manufacture of vehicles and the development of digital equipment for monitoring of road users’ behavior are making roads and highways much safer and easier for the public.

Mumtaz Shah