The horrific deaths of four pedestrians on Dehradun’s Rajpur Road on Wednesday evening after being hit by a speeding Mercedes car shows how little we have advanced as a society in an increasingly affluent world. The incident followed a pattern that is well established now – people getting run over by posh cars, often driven by juveniles or intoxicated persons. While it is the responsibility of the police to enforce the rules of the road, they cannot do it alone – and certainly not with the present allocation of human and other resources.
The problem with the expensive, high-performance cars is that, despite all the fancy technology, they are difficult to handle. Just a slight touch on the accelerator has them speeding in seconds. The ‘comfortable’ ride due to high-quality shock absorbers makes those inside feel it’s a smooth drive, numbing their sense of alertness. As such, it requires an even higher level of skills and training to drive them. If that were not the case, everybody could become a fighter pilot performing acrobatics in the sky at the speed of sound.
The social aspect of this phenomenon is also that many of those owning these cars have not acquired them through honestly earned money. Having become rich through scams, dishonest dealings, bribe-taking, etc., it is only natural that they do not have the culture to use such assets responsibly and safely. The offspring of such people are more likely to be spoiled brats, difficult to control. It is no surprise then that they are unable to inculcate the basic rules of disciplined behaviour in them. Instead, it has been often seen that parents try hard to use their wealth and influence to try and get the offending progeny off the hook.
It is no wonder then that every time someone on the road gets hit by a big car, people tend to automatically blame those in the vehicle. The fault may actually be that of the pedestrians for suddenly stepping onto the road without looking, but the fact is that if a car is being driven at the right speed, there is greater reaction time, as also less harm caused to the victim. This is why speed limits need to be strictly enforced no matter if the road is seemingly empty, no matter what time of day or night it is. That is the job of the police. It is also the self-discipline that drivers must scrupulously follow however tempting it may be to go a little faster.
