GOOD MOTORING
Double check at rail crossing
H. Kishie Singh

Four children died at an unmanned railway crossing in Ludhiana recently

India attained a landmark this past year in automobile production and history. We manufactured over one million passenger vehicles. This does not include trucks and buses. There can be no great debate on the subject that our roads are overcrowded. One visit to a parking lot will confirm this.

More than 80,000 people die on Indian roads every year. Four children died at an unmanned level crossing in Ludhiana earlier this month. This is sheer negligence.

There is a proper procedure for navigating an unmanned railway crossing. Since they are mostly without an attendant, it is entirely the driver's responsibility to cross safely.

Before you cross such an intersection - road and rail - stop, look and ensure that no train is approaching. Get out of the car and walk to the railway track. The vibration can be felt in the ground if a train is approaching.

You should have left your car 20 metres away. That's a safe distance. A train cannot stop fast. It also creates a slipstream i.e. a vacuum that could suck you under the train. Get back to the safety of your car.

Once the train has passed, wait. There could be a second train following or there could be one coming on the double track if there's any. Satisfy yourself that the track is clear, only then cross fast and safely.

The above procedure is also legally binding under the "precautions at unmanned railway level crossings as per Section 131 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988."

Manned level crossings have barriers. It is in the name of good-driving etiquette, common sense and discipline that one should stand in a queue. You usually have three rows of vehicles facing three rows of vehicles with a barrier in between. Such a tangle is man made. It is the result of sheer indiscipline and lawlessness.

It is for you, the driver, to avoid such situations. Our roads are about the most dangerous in the world. We have cars capable of very high speeds and no roads to drive them on. Again, you the driver is the only one who can make the roads safe. Drive sensibly and safely. Your life, and that of your loved ones, depends on it.

It could be a very long time before we have good-quality roads and stringent enforcement of rules and regulations. In any case rules and regulations are for you, the road user. If you can use roads as a responsible citizen, your roads will be much safer.

There are an estimated 500 million cars running on roads the world over. That means one car for every 12 people. The ratio is much lower in India and yet we have the highest number of dead in road accidents. Observe road rules, maintain discipline, be polite and all will be well.

Happy motoring!

This feature was published on May 29, 2004