This survey was conducted with an objective of informing the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, policy makers and road safety experts about the awareness of road users on different road safety laws. And strengthening existing mechanisms behind road safety and design unique safety solutions that can help build better road usage patterns, experiences, with a core focus on safety while commuting, this survey was taken by over 7,552 respondents.
Brief overview of survey
The 25 question survey was divided into broadly 4 segments which explored:
A. Personal information: This section captured the basic general information about each respondent such as demographic profile, age, city details, time spent during commute etc.
B. Road User Behaviour: This section mapped the behaviour of road users across a variety of situations such as following traffic lights, drinking and driving, different tactics used for crossing the road for pedestrians etc.
C. Importance of Personal Safety: In this section, we looked at awareness of road users about their person safety such as first- responder training, usage of seat belts and helmets, awareness of Good Samaritan Law.
D. Looking at the Traffic System of Gurugram: In this section we tried to explore users who lived or worked in Gurgaon and prioritised their concerns about black spots, unsafe roads etc.
Insights from the survey responses
Out of 7,553 complete responses, only 1,522 (20%) respondents opted for travelling by public transport such as buses, autos, trains, while 1046 (13%) respondents travelled by carpool and app-based aggregators. A whopping 4,916 respondents (65%) opted for commuting by personal transport while only 41 respondents opted for Walking as a means of transport.
1,513 respondents (20%) admitted to having jumped a traffic light, of which 203 (19%) were in the last week alone and 212 (20%) were within a span of a month. 358 (5%) respondents admitted to jumping a traffic light in the last 3 months.
The key reason for jumping a traffic light was Absence of Traffic Cops with 1,477 (19.5%) respondents opting for it; Running Late was seen as the next best reason with 212 respondents opting for it.
While 6,765 respondents (89.5%) said they Don’t Drive and Drive, 105 respondents (1.39%) admitted to drinking Once a Week and 198 Respondents (2.4%) admitted to Drinking Once a Month.
About 2,471 respondents (33%) admitted to knowing about the Good Samaritan Law, while the majority at 3,897 respondents (51.5%), either didn’t know about it or were not sure of the existence of the Law.
About 590 respondents (7.8%) admitted to NOT getting involved when they saw an accident, while the majority at 2,544 respondents (33.6%) admitted to calling one of the Emergency Services (fire/ ambulance/ police).
About 1,831 respondents (24.5%) said they helped the victim by taking them to the nearest hospital. And 1,078 respondents (14%) admitted to performing Essential Life Support.
About 3,486 respondents (46%) said they waited for the traffic signal to turn red before crossing a road, while 1,594 respondents (21.1%) used a foot overbridge.
When it comes to the question of Personal Safety about 5,957 respondents (79%) said they wore helmets/ seat belts, while 204 respondents (2.8%) said they rarely/ never wear seat belts/ helmets.
About 2,773 respondents (37%) were from Gurgaon. About all of them described not driving in Designated Lanes, Over Speeding, as some of the main ways of breaking traffic rules in Gurgaon.
8-Point Agenda for Stakeholders
- Given that majority of road users prefer to travel by personal transport, having stronger advocacy drives and public safety campaigns across towns and cities is required. Using help from the Corporate sector in designing initiatives for road users can contribute towards safer roads.
- Improving infrastructure for pedestrians, making footpaths more accessible for them, especially senior citizens and those suffering from different forms of disability.
- Enforce harsher penalties for basic traffic offences like jumping traffic lights, and not wearing personal safety gear like seat belts, helmets while driving/ riding.
- Having more visible forms of communication and awareness drives by the Traffic Police and Law enforcement agencies towards ensuring better awareness about the Good Samaritan Law and its benefits.
- Installing solar powered and smart traffic lights and ensuring their proper maintenance and upkeep is key in making sure that road users follow traffic signals.
- This will also encourage more effective surface crossings for pedestrians and installing blinkers, which will lower government expenditure on designing footover bridges and subways.
- Since only 14% respondents admitting to performing essential life support for accident victims in some cases, it is essential to make safety training workshops at colleges & offices compulsory for all.
- Have more sensitisation campaigns for drivers and personal vehicle owners at theatres, on Air, in offices, to enforce a better driving etiquette and civic sense on roads.