In an attempt to curb traffic accidents, Dimapur Police has
issued an order capping the speed limits for vehicles on selected routes,
besides other traffic advisories, including mandatory wearing of seatbelts,
safety belts for kids below 14 years, and protective headgear or helmets for
two-wheel riders. The police also issued restrictions on driving under the
influence, use of mobile phones while driving, unauthorised retrofitting,
installation of after-market devices such as tinted glasses, crash guards, blue
LED lights, exhaust pipes, pressure horns, etc. These are welcome measures from
the law enforcement agency amid rising road accidents, especially on National
Highway 29. But are these rules new? The answer is NO. Most of it is a
reproduction of what was notified earlier this year, with a warning that
violators would be ‘strictly penalised’. Now, the big question is: Have the
police recalled the order that they need to reproduce it? This, the law
enforcement agency has to answer. What we know is that people hardly follow
these rules. Not many four-wheeler drivers wear seatbelts; most bikers,
especially pillion riders, don’t wear helmets; and even passengers of bike
taxis don’t wear protective head gears. This is the reality. This is despite
the standing traffic rules, which are ultimately for the safety of everyone.
The failure in implementing even such basic road safety rules is a matter of
concern, something we need to seriously introspect and address at the earliest.
The fact is that most government rules and orders, however
noble they may be, meet with the same fate -- a slow death. A complete ban on
single-use plastic items is a classic example of a failed good cause. The
practice of proxy teaching in government schools is another such case. The concerned
authorities have issued notice after notice on this burning issue, yet nothing
has changed on the ground. It could be a case of either half-hearted
enforcement of its own orders by the authorities or utter disregard for the
rule of law by the public. Or the citizens are so used to turning a deaf ear to
government orders. Whatever may be the reason, indifference to the rule of law
and resistance to changes at the cost of public welfare is detrimental to
social growth. It’s like shooting oneself in the foot. On the other hand, the
concerned authorities should set a precedent by penalising the violators of
laws. At the moment, laxity rules the roost. We are paying a heavy price for
this attitude. It won’t be surprising if the Dimapur Police reissue its road
safety regulations a few months from now.
