Monday Musing
[ M Doley ]
We are law-abiding citizens and we should be. But we often break the rules, and we are proving it practically with our actions.
We do things that we are asked not to do. When we are told to not throw garbage at a particular place, we go ahead and throw garbage there, don’t we?
We let our domestic animals roam freely on the roads and let them poop on it.
We litter public places, smoke in the open, and jump queues.
There are people who park their vehicles in places where ‘no parking’ boards are placed, drive and overtake from the wrong side, ride two-wheelers without wearing a helmet, modify motorcycle silencers to create a deafening sound, and use mobile phone while riding a two-wheeler or driving a car.
We cross roads at places not designated for pedestrians.
There are people who spit paan masala on the walls and corners of public buildings, despite a request to not do so. Don’t even ask about the nauseating habit of men urinating in the corners of walls.
We have also stopped wearing facemasks, as if the pandemic is over. Who listens to the administration’s advisory with a mild caution through public announcement system, asking the law-abiding citizens to continue to wear facemask, and that fine will be imposed on defaulters? I have no idea how many rule breakers have so far been fined for not wearing masks and for spitting in public places.
Some people don’t understand instructions, no matter how many times they are explained or asked not to do something in some places.
Rules are made by the authority to accomplish something good, and for smooth functioning of the system.
As per the ministry of road transport & highway’s (MoRTH) transport research wing data, 561 people died in various road accidents in Arunachal during 2016-2019.
A total of 43 accidents, involving 23 deaths, were reported due to use of mobile phones while driving during 2019, while, in the same year, 12 drivers and six passengers were killed in accidents because they did not wear seatbelts.
The types of accidents include head-on collision (49), hitting from the back (8), hitting from the side (8), collision with parked vehicles (12), and hit-and-run (38), the data said.
The MoRTH has identified the sawmill area (NH 515) in Pasighat in East Siang district, Mithun Gate/O Point, Bank Tinali and Ganga near RK Mission Hospital area (NH 415) in Itanagar, and the post office area and the GREF campus (NH 52) in Daporijo as ‘black spots/accident prone areas’ in Arunachal Pradesh.
Arunachal shares only .1 percent of the total registered vehicles in the country.
Director General of Police RP Upadhyaya said during a meeting last year that most deaths are either due to reckless driving, drunk driving, rash driving, or mobile phone usage during driving.
We are always advised to not use mobile phones while driving or riding a two-wheeler. People don’t even consider wearing seatbelts and helmet important, no matter what risk they expose themselves to.
There are some stubborn people who are hell-bent on not listening to anyone and have pledged not to improve themselves.
