Ten hours earlier, I’d left a blue-sky London afternoon where “summer” still needs a wind-cheater.
My brain flipped to India mode in seconds: lower expectations, keep moving, don’t argue with the heat. It worked for the weather… until I hit the road.
From Zero Violations To A Dozen A Day
In two weeks of driving across England, I didn’t witness a single traffic offence—no lane cutting, no honking, no helmet-less daredevils.
Day one back in the NCR:
- A hatchback zooms past on the left and clips my front bumper.
- A scooter with four people on it, when three is an offence, all without helmets.
- A SUV dangerously overtakes six cars because “bhai mere, late ho raha hai.”
By the time I reached the office, I had counted twelve violations. That’s not anecdotal; it’s a regular commute.
Why We Behave Abroad—But Not At Home
Ever wondered why the same driver who plays chicken with an ambulance in Delhi morphs into a model citizen on the M25? Nothing magical happens there; the difference is the certainty of punishment.
You will be fined, filmed, or lose your licence in the UK. Here, the odds of a penalty still feel like a coin toss. And if you’re penalised, it’s hardly a deterrent. Let’s face it: You will comply if there are serious consequences and a certainty of getting caught.
What The Numbers Scream
- India continues to report over 4 lakh road accidents annually.
- Fatalities are estimated to be over 1.5 lakh deaths per year, with over-speeding and driving on the wrong side being major contributors.
Let’s look at some more data (2022):
- 1,264 crashes every day in India
- 462 deaths every day. That’s like three full Airbus A320s crashing every single week.
If an airline suffered that record, regulators would shut it down overnight. On the road, we call it “normal.”
Why Can’t We Learn
It isn’t rocket science—London shows the playbook.
It is officially the most congested city, yet the air is clean, and pedestrians feel safe. How?
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Cameras are everywhere. Automatic fines land before you finish the journey.
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Variable congestion charges. Pricey to pollute, cheap to behave.
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No-nonsense policing. Drunk? Phone in hand? Licence gone.
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Political will. No party dares roll back safety. Voters rebel.
Not everything is clockwork in London. Delhi handles immigration much better than Heathrow (the queues are two hours at the UK Border and ten minutes at IGI (maximum twenty minutes).
We’ve proved we can outperform. Roads should be next.
5 Things We Can Do—Today
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Refuse to excuse. “Sab chalta hai” is a death warrant.
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Model, don’t lecture. Ensure your indicator is on, the phone is where it should be, and the seatbelt is clicked—even for the backseat.
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Amplify data. One crash statistic in every WhatsApp family group beats twenty exercise videos.
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Vote like lives depend on it because they do.
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Drive safe—someone else’s tomorrow depends on your today.
You can’t leave it to the government. If change doesn’t begin in Parliament, let it start at a traffic light with a simple pause at a pedestrian crossing.
The truth is, we already know what needs to be done. We see it in the countries we visit, admire, and envy. We follow every rule there. Why not here? Because here, we believe we can get away with it. And until that belief is shaken, nothing will change.
But here’s the thing: every time one of us chooses to do the right thing—wait, yield, slow down—we show others it’s possible.
And sometimes, that’s all it takes to start a ripple.
About Me
I am a thinker at all times. I see, I think. I hear, I think. I read, I think. Every weekend I write. I would love to know what you think.