Ten BIG dangers on India’s roads that everyone needs to know about

The road infrastructure of India has been on a constant uphill climb since a long time now but Indian roads are still one of the most dangerous roads in the world. In fact, the data submitted by the Indian states for accidents sates that Indian roads have seen 400 deaths per day in 2015. Almost similar figures continued in 2016 too. There are several factors which make our roads dangerous including poor roads, bad driving habits and traffic rules violations among others. Here are 10 things that can get you killed the next time you hit the road.

Wrong side drivers/riders

 

Our shortcut-loving countrymen are often found driving on the wrong side of the road because the distance is marginally less. Riding on the wrong side confuses the oncoming traffic and lead to horrific accidents. Moreover, several motorists also drive on the rightmost lane of the highway. A head-on collision with such vehicles can be fatal and you should always stay alerted to avoid such vehicles on the road.

Potholes

A lot of new highways may be coming up in our country but the condition of the current highways is becoming treacherous with each passing day. Potholes are one of the biggest issues of our roads. They usually develop during the rainy seasons or due to continuous use of the road by heavy vehicles like trucks. The potholes develop into major death traps on the highways. Vehicles doing high speed on highways hit such potholes and often overturned. Occupants in such vehicle can be killed instantly or may face severe injuries for life.

Stray Cattle

Stray animals are a regular feature of almost every road across India. A lot of cases of vehicles hitting stray animals are reported every year. This is an even bigger problem during night and foggy conditions when the visibility drops quite low. Most of the Indian cities have a huge population of cattle, dogs, and other pastures in the form of sheep and goats. They are a major threat to motorists as can’t be detected early since they do not reflect much light.

Avoid drivers who don’t use Mirrors

A lot of people in our country keep their outside rearview mirror (ORVM) in a closed position while driving the car. While the inside rearview mirror is quite helpful in itself, the added convenience and view of all the three mirrors can’t be matched by it alone. They let drivers see what is behind them and manoeuvre on the road safely. Without them, you can’t exactly know what’s moving in your blind spots unless you turn your head, which is another grave mistake. Drivers who drive with ORVMs closed should be avoided as they can turn or change lanes suddenly without noticing the vehicles behind them resulting in major accidents.

Overloaded vehicles

Overloaded vehicles are moving life takers and can be deemed as a ticking time bomb on the road. With the extra weight, overloaded vehicles carry greater momentum which means less stopping power. If driving in front of such vehicles, never brake hard as it is most likely that the overloaded vehicle wil come crashing into you. Further, such vehicles pose a great threat of turning over due to disproportionate weight.

High beams

Most people in India don’t know how to use a high beam properly. Just because it is brighter, they make it a point to switch on the high beam every time they are driving after sunset without realizing that high beams pose a big problem for oncoming traffic. This especially becomes a pain on single-lane/divider-less roads. High beams are meant to be used only on dark multi-lane highways that have a proper road divider, or in areas where visibility becomes very low. Even them one must switch to lower beam if there’s a vehicle approaching from the front on the same road. It can temporarily blind on comers and can distract people.

Avoid Tail-gaters

Tailgating vehicles can cause an accident when you have to brake suddenly or change lane. Such vehicles don’t keep a safe distance from nearby vehicles and can crash if you brake in an emergency situation. Since the distance behind them and the other car is quite less, they do not get time to react quickly and can crash into your car causing severe life-threatening injuries. Best is to let them pass so as to be safe on the road.

Aquaplaning

Aquaplaning or Hydroplaning is one unseen enemy on the road that may cause a fatal accident. It happens when a layer of water builds between the road and the tyre that leads to loss of traction. It happens mostly during the rainy season and maybe a result of poor tyre conditions, too much speed on a wet road, oil on-road or all of them combined. If you see a wet patch on the road, best is to slow down and pass it without stepping on the gas.

Stationary/broken down vehicles on the highways

Stationary or broken down vehicles on the side of the highways often cause major accidents. At high speed, it is difficult to notice a vehicle that is parked on the side. Mostly, vehicles with punctures, buses or breakdown vehicles stop on the side of the highway. Vehicles that stop and do not have their hazard lamps/hazard triangle put on to warn the other motorists often lead to crashes.

Objects on the road

Always keep an eye on the road of broken divider parts or stones. Dividers often get hit by big vehicles and the debris gets scattered on the road. Such debris can cause heavy damage to your vehicle and can also kill you by causing tyre burst. The stones from the dividers are big enough to even flip your car that can cause injuries that can kill you. Also keep an eye for other objects like big tyre shreds on the road.