“Driving sense that cops won’t tell you”
Sunny Dua
sunnydua55@gmail.com
How many more decades will we wait for our city to finally learn how to move – smoothly, safely and humanly on its roads? How many more deaths, how many more shattered bones, paralysed bodies and broken families will it take before we accept an uncomfortable truth: the real crisis on our roads is not just of infrastructure, but of sense – basic civic, driving and human sense.
Every morning and evening, Jammu’s roads resemble a battlefield where survival feels accidental rather than assured. Horns scream without purpose, vehicles crawl inches apart, two-wheelers cut through gaps meant for none, pedestrians gamble with their lives, and ambulances plead for passage that rarely comes on time. This chaos unfolds not on highways, but within municipal limits – on roads where speeds barely cross 40 kmph or even less than that. Yet people are dying. People are being maimed for life. That alone should tell us that the problem runs far deeper than potholes or narrow stretches.
Jammu and Kashmir today is witnessing an unprecedented surge in private vehicles – cars, scooters, motorcycles along with an ever-growing number of minibuses, autos and e-rickshaws. All of them are squeezed onto roads that were rarely planned, expanded or redesigned to handle such pressure. Urban growth happened, but urban planning did not. Until the government introduces a reliable and affordable public transport system, creates adequate and scientific parking infrastructure, or seriously plans mass transit solutions like a metro rail, we are left to fend for ourselves on overcrowded roads.
And that is where driving sense becomes not just desirable, but essential for survival.
Driving sense refers to those unwritten, undeclared rules – habits of caution, empathy and discipline – that no traffic cop or road transport authority ever explains while issuing a driving licence. You are taught how to start a vehicle, how to reverse, how to park between cones. You are never taught how to coexist on a road full of strangers, each carrying their own urgency, fear and responsibility. The absence of this sense is what is killing us – not speed alone.
Had the city been decongested by shifting defunct or overcrowded offices, abandoned establishments and irrelevant institutions out of core areas, road pressure would have eased substantially. Had organised colonies been developed with proper commercial zones, traffic would have been distributed rather than concentrated. But since nothing concrete seems to be in the offing, the responsibility of safety now rests squarely on road users themselves. Self-regulation is no longer a moral lecture; it is a necessity.
Road sense begins even before the engine starts
Driving sense does not begin when you press the accelerator. It begins even before you bring your vehicle onto the road. When moving out from a parked position, be slow. Be alert. Look back carefully. Check mirrors. If another vehicle is approaching, wait patiently. Let it pass. Only then merge onto the road – and do so by keeping strictly to the extreme left.
This simple act of patience can prevent countless accidents that occur daily when vehicles abruptly emerge from parking spots, forcing others to brake suddenly or swerve. Roads are shared spaces, not personal driveways.
While passing parked vehicles, drivers must remain constantly alert. Doors opening suddenly is among the most common causes of urban road accidents. Equally important is the responsibility of those sitting inside parked vehicles. Before opening a door, check the rear-view mirror. A small precaution can prevent serious injury, panic braking and chain collisions.
Lane discipline: The culture we never learnt
Lane discipline is perhaps the biggest casualty on Jammu’s roads. Vehicles drift freely across lanes as if road markings are decorative art. Two-wheelers, in particular, overtake from anywhere – left, right, gaps barely wide enough for a bicycle – creating confusion, fear and chaos.
Overtaking must happen only when there is a clear opportunity and strictly from the right. This is not a technicality; it is the language of traffic. When this language is violated, roads descend into disorder. What makes the situation worse is the near absence of accountability. Violations often go unchecked – no challans, no camera-based penalties, no consistent enforcement. This silent tolerance encourages further lawlessness.
At intersections and crossings, slowing down should be instinctive. Look both ways. Understand the flow of traffic before moving ahead. Use indicators without exception. Indicators are not optional accessories; they are communication tools that prevent crashes. Allow faster or heavier vehicles to pass first. Ideally, larger vehicles should yield to smaller ones and pedestrians, but since ideal behaviour is rare, choose safety over ego and let heavy vehicles clear the way.
Horns are not a solution
Honking has become the default language of frustration. But horns do not clear traffic. They do not dissolve jams. If traffic is halted, there is always a reason ahead – an accident, a bottleneck, a pedestrian crossing, or congestion that needs order, not noise.
Nobody enjoys standing idle in the middle of the road. Excessive honking only heightens stress, distracts drivers and worsens congestion. Overtaking halted queues further blocks oncoming traffic, converting manageable delays into complete gridlocks. Silence, patience and discipline can move traffic faster than noise ever will.
Parking: A measure of civic sense
Parking irresponsibly is a silent crime against society. Always use designated parking spaces wherever available. If none exist, ensure that your vehicle does not obstruct the movement of others. Remember, someone else’s urgency may be far greater than yours. A blocked road could delay an ambulance, a fire vehicle or someone rushing a patient to hospital. They cannot wait for you to finish your work or meal.
Jammu’s evenings come alive with eateries, cafés and street food. This vibrancy is welcome, but roadside parking often turns it into chaos. Park only where permitted. Park in an organised line. Ensure the main carriageway remains clear. If parking is not available right outside the shop you want to visit, park at a distance and walk. Walking a few hundred metres will not harm you. In fact, it will make you feel responsible, reduce congestion and keep your vehicle safer.
Ambulances deserve absolute right of way
Ambulances do not carry passengers; they carry lives. Yet, time and again, we see them trapped in traffic, sirens screaming into indifference. The moment you hear an ambulance siren or see flashing lights, move your vehicle to the extreme left or slow down and create a clear passage on the right. This is not kindness; it is duty. A few seconds of delay can mean the difference between life and death. No meeting, no errand, no destination is more important than a human life fighting for survival.
Power, privilege and responsibility
VVIPs and senior officials authorised to use beacon lights and sirens must introspect deeply. Poor time management should not translate into public suffering. Leaving late for destinations and then forcing traffic to stop repeatedly disrupts the entire system.
Even more concerning is the behaviour of escorts. Aggressive driving, unnecessary sirens, flashing lights and rude gestures toward pedestrians and motorists have become common – even on empty roads late at night. Often, this display serves ego more than urgency. Most of this chaos can be avoided with better planning, discipline and sensitivity. Authority must inspire order, not intimidation.
Public transport: Backbone or breakdown
Minibuses, auto-rickshaws and e-rickshaws form the backbone of urban mobility, yet their driving behaviour often becomes the biggest source of disorder. Vehicles must halt completely at designated stops to allow passengers to board and alight safely. Racing with competitors, stopping mid-road, reckless overtaking and sudden braking are not minor violations – they are deadly habits.
These vehicles frequently ignore lanes, block intersections and choke roads, disturbing the entire traffic ecosystem. Traffic police must hold regular, compulsory workshops for public transport operators and enforce strict discipline. Areas like highest seat of power the Civil Secretariat, Jewel Chowk, Residency Road, Kachi Chawni, Canal Road, Janipur and Gurdwara Sunder Singh Road remain perpetually congested largely because of indiscipline and haphazard parking.
Let the law work without obstruction
Authorities cannot function if every enforcement drive is resisted. Shopkeepers often object to anti-encroachment and traffic regulation measures in the name of doorstep business. But chaos helps no one in the long run. Once rules are implemented firmly and uniformly, people adapt. They park responsibly. They walk short distances. Business does not suffer – it grows.
Across India, many cities have transformed prime markets into pedestrian-friendly or traffic-free zones. The result has been increased footfall, safer shopping experiences and better business. It is a proven model that benefits consumers, traders, municipal bodies and traffic police alike. Jammu deserves the same chance.
Parking greed is suffocating the city
Where parking facilities exist, mismanagement and greed often ruin them. Contractors allow more vehicles than designated capacity, chasing extra profit while creating chaos. Newly developed parking lots under Jammu Smart City, JMC and JDA frequently exceed limits, causing inconvenience and confusion.
The situation at Panjtirthi is alarming. Vehicles are parked on both carriageways, leaving little or no space for movement. Risks of damage are high, tempers flare easily and inconvenience reaches unbearable levels. All this happens because decency, aesthetics and public convenience are sacrificed at the altar of money.
Hospitals and the Secretariat present a similar picture – places that should reflect order and efficiency instead greet visitors with chaos and confusion. If these critical spaces cannot be managed, what message are we sending to citizens?
Beyond rituals: A call for real education
This article is not written to blame alone; it is a call for reform. Road safety cannot remain confined to symbolic Road Safety Weeks and ceremonial pledges. What we need is sustained education and awareness. Traffic authorities must begin early, on schools and colleges, teaching children how to be responsible pedestrians and future drivers. Awareness programmes must extend to minibus drivers, auto operators, e-rickshaw drivers, corporate executives, and even civil servants. Seminars, workshops and continuous engagement are essential.
Enforcement without education breeds fear, not discipline. Education without enforcement breeds indifference. We need both – on the roads, every day, not just during special weeks.
The choice before us
Ultimately, road sense is not enforced – it is chosen. It is chosen when you slow down instead of racing. When you wait instead of pushing. When you give way instead of asserting ego. When you remember that every other person on the road is someone’s family. Roads do not kill people. Recklessness does. Indifference does. Ego does.
If we do not change today, we will keep asking the same painful question tomorrow and for decades to come: how many more lives will it take before we finally learn how to drive like humans?
(The writer is senior journalist)
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