India’s Laissez Faire Approach to Traffic is actually better – is it?

Cooper lauds the lack of traffic controls in India thus: (Via IFTF Future Now)

This morning I was delighted to come across this video of an apparently typical intersection in India. I can see no sign of any of the traffic engineering elements typical in the USA, Europe, and other areas, yet a relatively high volume of very mixed traffic (from pedestrians to bikes to large trucks) seems to flow very smoothly. About two thirds through the video a white car even drives against the flow of traffic, with no ill effects!

I have often wondered how this whole thing works because from the face of it, as Cooper observes, there are not too many accidents happening. But then there is one crucial element missing from the picture – Speed. The average speed of my car rarely reaches above 45Km/hour, which is approx 28 mph, just a tad over the residential zone speed limit in the USA. At that speed, you have enough reaction time to avoid accidents. Imagine what would happen if the average speed increases to 45-50 mph as in the USA. This chaotic traffic in India will create a carnage. Its the orderliness of the drivers in the USA and the traffic engineering elements present that allow people to drive at such high speeds and yet not collide with each other too frequently.


Comments

  1. Anonymous said May 4, 2006, 12:22 am:

    As I have read somewhere – “Speed kills and absolute speed kills absolutely!!”

    Ganesh

  2. Anonymous said May 5, 2006, 1:05 pm:

    Interesting quote. Perhaps you are saying Chennaites should be happy travelling 20mph average speed.

  3. Anonymous said August 12, 2006, 1:39 pm:

    If you look at the video closely, there is only one overwhelming Darwinian rule – Survival of the fittest. If you have a bus or a truck in the opposite lane wishing to make a turn, you better wait. If there is a significant herd of vehicles accumulated wishing to make a turn, well, you havent got much choice…unless you dont mind getting run down by a herd of majestic beasts on the Masai mara.

  4. Anonymous said August 12, 2006, 1:43 pm:

    A close look at the video outlines one overwhelming Darwinian rule of the road – Survival of the largest.
    If you see a bus or a truck on the opposite lane wishing to make a turn, you better wait. If there is a herd of vehiciles waiting to make a turn…well…you havent got much choice to wait ….xept if you dont mind getting run down by herds of majestic beats on the Masai mara.