AN OPEN LETTER TO HON.

NARENDRA MODI REGARDING

HIGH RATE OF ROAD ACCIDENTS IN INDIA
27 July 2015
Honourable Shri Narendra Modi (Personal Attention)
Prime Minister of India
7 Race Course Road
New Delhi 110 003
Honourable Prime Minister:
I am glad you have asked for road safety related suggestions from Indian citizens to
put a brake on the alarming rise of road accidents resulting in injuries and deaths. This
is because you would like to announce some concrete measures during your
forthcoming Independence Day speech on 15 August 2015.
I am making the following two humble suggestions. However, I am not sure these will
be implemented by the concerned authorities unless you put your foot down.
1. Lack of Driving Lane Discipline and Enforcement
On multilane highways such as National Highway 8 (Jaipur-Ajmer Road with 6
lanes), I had challenged the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) through
RTI as to why as a car driver I should pay the toll tax when there is no right-of-way
for me on any of the three lanes in either direction. All trucks/buses are plying in the
central lane and overtake each other in the right lane thus blocking my way
completely because legally I cannot overtake them from the left lane, and it is also
dangerous. See the typical situation in the photograph. Therefore, I have to drive in a
zigzag, illegal fashion like a stunt driver around these hurdles called trucks. This
leads to serious accidents.

On my RTI appeal, the Central Information Commission (CIC) of India gave a ruling
in my favor despite the presence of NHAI General Managers at the hearing. You can

see the CIC judgment dated 15 April 2009 at the following link (although it is also
attached for your ready reference):
http://indiankanoon.org/doc/1942805/
The CIC rightly directed the NHAI to enforce the driving lane discipline on this
highway within 3 months. Although more than 6 years have passed, NHAI still has to
act. Sab chalta hai. We have similar situation on our 4-lane highways like NH 11
Jaipur- Agra Road where the trucks are plying on the right lane rather than in the left
lane, forcing cars to overtake illegally from the left lane which is also dangerous.
Mr. Prime Minister, we simply have jungle raj on our killer national highways
which carry about 40% of total traffic in India. If you can enforce the driving lane
discipline on our highways, it will reduce injuries and deaths.
2. Lack of Stop, Look and Go Policy at Intersections
During early 1900s when a large number of cheap cars such as Ford Model T came in
the market in the US, the vehicular traffic increased tremendously resulting in many
accidents especially at the highway and street intersections. The government erected
millions of STOP signs at intersections. Anybody coming from a side street (or less
important highway) to the main street (or important highway) was required to make a
dead stop at the intersections; look right and left; and then proceed slowly and
merge when there was a gap in the main road traffic. This law put a dent on road
accidents.

Similar situation has developed in India in recent years. With many cars and
motorcycles available on easy loan, vehicular traffic has increased. However, car and
motorcycle drivers enter the main street or main highway without even slowing and
without looking to right or left (even for their own safety, which is just common
sense). In other words, these drivers are acting like a horse which has blinders on
both sides of the eyes and is permitted to see straight only and not to right or left. I see
this strange phenomenon every day in Jaipur. Over 90% of drivers merge into main
street without slowing and without taking even a glance towards right or left. Vehicles
on the main streets generally travel with high speeds. All of sudden, they are blocked
by these vehicles which appear from nowhere and accidents happen. No wonder
Jaipur has the dubious distinction of being No. 4 on the list of dangerous Indian cities
having high road accidents.
If we can put up stop signs plus speed breaker (bump) just before the stop signs on the
side streets or secondary highways throughout India and ask the traffic authorities to
implement the stop, look and go policy, it would reduce accidents. Many of our
politicians, bureaucrats and technocrats praise this system when they see it in the

United States during their visits; but they do not have the desire, will or confidence to
implement it in India.
Mr. Prime Minister, only you can get these two humble suggestions implemented in
India similar to the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan you started. You are the last hope!
Yours faithfully,

Prof. Prithvi Singh Kandhal

Karanpura House, 50 Raj Bhawan Rd.
Civil Lines, Jaipur 302 006

ABOUT THE WRITER

Prof. Prithvi Singh Kandhal is Associate Director Emeritus of the National Center for
Asphalt Technology (NCAT) based at Auburn University, Alabama, U.S.A. NCAT is
the largest asphalt (bitumen) road technology center in the world.
Prior to joining NCAT in 1988, Prof. Kandhal served as Chief Asphalt Road Engineer
of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for 17 years. He is the first person
born outside North America, who has held the following three national and
international very prestigious positions in the asphalt road technology area:

President, Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists (with members from
all continents in the world)

Chairman, American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International
Committee on Road Paving Standards (responsible for over 200 standards
used worldwide)

Chairman, Transportation Research Board Committee on Asphalt Roads, U.S.
National Academy of Sciences
Prof. Kandhal has published over 120 technical papers and has co-authored the first
ever textbook on asphalt road technology, which is used by more than 25 universities
in the U.S. He has traveled to various countries in South America, Middle East,
China, Vietnam, Japan, Singapore, and Australia to provide training and consulting
services in asphalt (bitumen) technology. He has been to China three times to train
their highway engineers in building world-class roads. He also has 20 years
experience in road construction in India.
In August 2011, Prof. Kandhal was inducted on the Wall of Honour established at
the largest asphalt road research center in the United States. In April 2012, he
received the Lifetime Achievement Award in Asphalt Road Technology from the
International Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists during their annual
banquet held in Austin, Texas, USA.