The Hindu : New Delhi News : Disciplining “jaywalkers”

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Saturday, Dec 08, 2007
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New Delhi

Disciplining “jaywalkers”

Pedestrians rarely use zebra crossings and jump central verges to cross roads, observes Devesh K. Pandey

The newly-launched drive by the Delhi traffic police to discipline “jaywalkers” on the Capital’s roads seems to have had some impact, at least in places where it is being strictly enforced. However, many road users feel that such an initiative will not bring about the desired results unless it is enforced with prudence and authority round the year.

There are two circumstances under which people generally tend to adopt a careless attitude towards rules – when they do not perceive them as justified enough or when the rules are not implemented with authority. Another aspect of human behaviour that plays an important role in developing a “rule-breaking” attitude is the tendency to intuitively choose the path of least resistance.

Such an attitude is reflected in every sphere of life with most people caring two hoots for rules and regulations. This is more than apparent on the Capital roads as in the absence of traffic policemen, motorists indulge in over-speeding, jumping traffic signals and overtaking from the wrong side. Pedestrians rarely use zebra crossings and jump central verges to cross roads, despite subways being available at several points. In the process, they endanger not only their own lives but also other road users’.

According to Rajat Mitra of Swanchetan Society for Mental Health, this tendency is termed “survival behaviour” where people strongly feel that behaving in a particular fashion is essential for their survival. This also has to do with a sense of competition in them to race ahead by pushing others aside. “It can also be termed a repetitive ritualistic behaviour, a behaviour pattern that cannot strictly be called a habit as it changes overnight due to fear of serious consequences,” said Dr. Mitra

“It has been observed that in several countries heavy penalties for traffic rule violations have resulted in a positive change in the behaviour of road users. For instance, to effectively implement the lane system in a country the authorities formulated a rule wherein commuters were required to keep their vehicles in the lane at traffic intersections and anyone not following the rule was heavily fined. A fallout of the rule was that people started obeying lane-driving restrictions even on the roads,” said Dr. Mitra.

Punishment in any form to bring in discipline is an effective measure, but only till the time it is continuously and religiously implemented and is not intermittent.

Another approach to make people abide by rules which can be applied along with the system of punishment and reward is to make them understand through proper reasoning that the rules are justified.

A more feasible way to achieve this would be to attach “moral values” to rules by showing the public how transgression of any rule by one results in encroachment of the rights of others.

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