Tougher penalties, a must.

There's an immediate requirement to have tougher penalties to rein in road rage.

First Delhi, now Surat. Two accident victims were dragged to death by car drivers for several kilometres on busy city roads. Hit-and-run accidents are turning into spine-chilling hit-and-drag accidents. There has been a rash of such acts which has left the country horrified. Kanpur saw a similar accident where two women were dragged along with their scooter and Bangalore saw two such incidents in a week - a 71-year-old citizen dragged for over a kilometre, clinging to a two-wheeler and a woman driving with a person on her bonnet.

All these accidents are classified under road rage - aggressive behaviour targeted at other motorists - and could range from abuse to violence. Punishment for road rage is not severe for the first offence, it is imprisonment for up to six months and/or a fine up to Rs.10,000/- and for the second offence, two years imprisonment and/or a fine of Rs.15,000/-. Such offences should attract tougher action and even suspension or revocation of driving license. The perpetrators of hit-and-drag accidents, whether fatal or otherwise, should be charged with murder. Often, such inhuman acts are deliberate rather than accidental and are not prompted by road rage alone. The men were drunk in the Delhi case but knew they were dragging the girl's body. In the Bangalore case, the youngster dragging the senior citizen was unrepentant. Psychologists have suggested that a mental fitness certificate should be made mandatory along with the driving license. The other strange phenomenon is filming such acts and uploading videos on social media instead of immediately calling law enforcement authorities. While such videos do help nail the offender, the intention is questionable.

These incidents also highlight that road sense and traffic etiquette on Indian roads are deplorable and safety is at a premium. This is especially so for pedestrians, marginalised and deprived of even the right to cross a road. Impatient, rash drivers in big vehicles, honking indiscriminately, are the norm. Disciplined traffic movement and management in advanced countries should serve as a template for our cities. We need extensive lessons on road behaviour for every driver, preferably taught in schools. Drivers should remember that a powerful vehicle brings the added responsibility of ensuring safety. The presence of traffic police officers and CCTV cameras is imperative and should help bring some semblance of order on the roads.

- the editorial masthead of the NIE 

My take

Zero-level tolerance for any laxity on this score.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

The maid had come by for work.

A normal Friday!