India's roads are getting better, at least in the city I live they are. But the civic sense hasn't gotten better. At least with potholes around people were careful and slow. Now they just break the traffic rules by gliding smoothly on the road.
I never really understood the reward in breaking traffic rules. Is it because of your grudge against authority figures that you are breaking the laws to get back at them?
Few days ago I saw a father riding a bike without helmet and his daughter sitting behind him and he was driving recklessly. I don't really care about how you want to live your life, but why are you enforcing your recklessness on your child?
People don't understand that their recklessness can lead to altering the life course of other people too. Yes, you saved 20 seconds by skipping the red light, but why does it matter? Couldn't you wait 20 second?
When there is police on the signals the discipline is maintained, maybe we Indians need to be policed more. I used to think that giving tickets to two wheelers for not wearing helmets was a bit harsh. But now I think that without the harsh penalty we will never grow up and start respecting laws.
These are basic laws, yet we break them regularly. Also the e-rickshaw menace has increased 10 folds, these things can get into small places and ruin the whole traffic flow. I think the police should just start fining people who drive recklessly. Pro-active policing can fix us. We are like grown-ups who need a monitor so that we behave.
Until and unless we are held accountable for our actions, nothing will improve.