Highway Safety in India

I was recently driving on the NICE Road between PES College to Somapura Intersection. My car was the only car and I was cruising at around 90kph. While I was nearing the intersection climbing an uphill unable to see what is there on the otherside of the road after it flattens, suddenly I saw 6-7 people standing in the middle of the road which they are not supposed to be since it is a freeway. Suddenly they ran into either sides of the road. By the time I see they all dispersed, a brand new BMW without a driver was parked on the middle of the road. I was surprised and was very close to it. I had to manoevure to one side of the road after applying sudden brakes. My family in the car was shocked. Luckily we were all wearing seat belts and car was equipped with ABS due to which a major accident was diverted. I found that they were shooting a movie using that car and camera was on the other side of the car without putting any traffic cones or atleast some tree bbranch how they put in India.

Another incidence on the NICE Road is while I was exiting the Somapura interchange towards left while I was observing on what is coming from right side, an young guy on a Punto without even stopping at the Interchange to observe what is coming directly merged onto the NICE Peripheral Road from the Link Road. A Truck approaching was about to hit this guy. At the final moment the truck driver pulled it onto the median space where there is lot of grass avoiding the accident.

On the BETL, since the speed limit is 80, I was exactly at 80 and on the right lane. All the cars are coming at 80+ kph and blinking and honking to me to change my lane and leave way to them. I cannot change lane since there are two wheelers going on the left lane. It is so irritating. 

In most of the highways, vehicles going fast will come behind you and start honking and blinking lights asking to get away from his way rather than himself/herself changing the lane and overtake. Very few people in India know about Blind Spots, Lane Changing Rules, Overtaking etc.

Highways in India are considered as death traps with plenty of fatal accidents regularly happening and highway control authorities not analyzing and rectifying the root cause.

Some of the major problems are:

1.  First and foremost is lack of driver discipline and Masti Nature of drivers when they enter highways.

2. Absence of Monitoring and Patroling.

3. Sudden humps and Barricades without prior notification boards.

4. Sudden 'U' turns.

5. People of Villages suddenly running across the roads sometimes with some tools.

and the list goes on.

Primary problem is the lack of driver discipline and respect to other driver which cannot be changed easily. This will lead to loss of so many lives including the driver himself and his entire family for the driver's irresponsible nature.

Looking at all these, I feel do we need so many investments on the highway and flyover infrastructure. Is this really worth or is it inviting more danger to our lives. A common man who cannot afford car has to risk his life by driving on a 2 wheeler here.  On the other hand if a rail infrastructure or any other PT infrastructure is built, every class of people can use it , it will be a greener , economical and first and foremost is a safer solution of commute. For instance, if BETL would have been replaced with a Metro, it would have helped all class of people, it would have been greener, economical in this ever increasing petrol prices and first and foremost would have been lot more safer. Same is the case of NICE road, we could have had a circular rail network. Ofcourse we need ring roads for trucks to bypass the city. Toll for the trucks should be less and cars should be more.

Cars are increasing everyday due to attractive salaries and the 'DRIVE' culture is increasing in India day by day taking it from the west without taking discipline followed there. So is our infrastructure with planners giving primary importance to Roads than rails to attract the higher class society  like in the case of BETL which was built on the pressure of few industrialists. Same is the case of ORR where a BRT is planned but we have flyovers everywhere without any clue of BRT during their construction.

Primary question is can a Car culture like America workout in India in the sameway with this indisciplined driving culture? Is the investment on such projects worth it or should the same be put for rail infrastructure?