Is Cycling Safe on Indian Roads ?

Image via Wikipedia Before

Before buying my latest cycle, I spent a lot of time brooding about the safety aspect of riding in traffic. And since I had never regularly cycled in any sort of traffic and my previous two attempts were futile, I was very nervous. While there is a good cycling community in Bangalore, what really helped me was the common man on the cycle who doesn't seem to worry too much about traffic and pollution. Compared to them, I am far more well covered if something happens to me - they may not have an insurance cover or may not even be able to work if they get injured in an accident. So what the heck was I brooding about ?

It was really the Subjective Safety aspect, which is the perception of safety, that was at play. For the common man on the cycle, that may not be a factor at all, but for us the educated white collar guys that is a lot of concern in many aspects. While I have a child seat for my daughter in my car, most of the folks carry their babies around in their motor bikes without any protection! Many European countries have separate cycle tracks to improve the safety aspect of riding - and it has produced results. People cycle a lot in these countries throughout the year and most of them don't even bother to wear helmets. Helmets are also considered a baggage that will hinder some folks from cycling as well. Some folks argue that wearing a helmet may make them more adventurous on the cycle.

However, separating cycle traffic from the regular one is not a practical idea in Indian road conditions - once you are on the road, Indians do not have respect for anyone else, except for his own right to drive and the traffic enforcement is pretty weak in this country. Separate cycle paths would be consumed by the motorbikes and auto-rickshaws for sure. So the subjective safety problem is not going to go away. But helmets and good quality bikes can in fact provide a bit of confidence for the rider and improve the perception of safety.

Image via Wikipedia

So the only option is to ride along the traffic and be part of it. This is in fact advocated by some folks(attributed to John Forrester) to handle the Cycling Insecurity Syndrome(CIS) which they say are at the root of the problem. You are in fact not solving the real problem by separating the cycling traffic from the main traffic. You need to be part of the traffic and claim your space on the road. But this hasn't got many takers in the western world as you can see from the statistics which shows that countries who have provided cycling infrastructure by way of separate tracks have significant cycling population whereas in other countries are not anywhere near.

So it turns out that it is the only option for a cyclist in India(and for any third world country I would imagine) is to ride along - you need to get over your CIS to be riding comfortably. And the only way to get over it is to get on the road riding with the traffic. While there are trainings and books available on Effective Bicycle Riding elsewhere in the world, we do not have access to such things and the common man on the cycle doesn't really care as well - and like any other thing, cycling comes naturally to us:)

Image via Wikipedia

But there are things that make the dangers of riding along the traffic not that bad on Indian roads.

• Motor speeds are not that high compared to the western highways or roads invariably because the roads are crowded or in poor condition. In fact in cities, traffic moves at only around the pace of a cycle. So the cyclist is at an advantage here because he can squeeze in or ride(or walk) on the sidewalks.
• While we don't respect each other on the road, nobody really would slam you intentionally on the road. They would definitely honk(even within my apartment!) and potentially say something to you. So unless your ego is hurt at what you hear, you shouldn't have a problem here. Turn a deaf ear to them!
  
• Since we collaborate with each other so well on the road, motorists are weary of the movements of each other which is usually unpredictable. That is one of the reasons why we don't really need lanes or lanes just remain white spots on the road. The feedback loop is indeed very dynamic and our reflexes are well worked during driving which makes us very adaptive! So the cyclist doesn't really need to have a rear view, he can just show his hand and switch lanes easily, others will adapt themselves with a bit of honking and may be some words:). In my opinion, this "collaboration" is in fact the corner stone of driving(and living) in India.
  
• While the bigger vehicles can flex its muscles on the road, they know for sure that the big vehicle is always at fault in case of an accident. So the honks and abuses are basically a reaction to that feeling. Again, if the cyclists can ignore it, things are easier.

But there are things peculiar to the Indian traffic that makes things a bit difficult.

Image via Wikipedia

• Animal crossing - cows and dogs are as unruly as the human beings on the steering. Dogs can trip cyclists and cause significant damage.
• Autorikshas - though they seem to be broader than a cycle, they can squeeze in anywhere a cyclists can go. They are driven by the smart fellas who can even do a 360 degree spin on the spot with these 3 wheelers. They are either in a hurry or waiting for their next passenger wherever they are!
  
• There is also this odd breed of vehicles people call BPO/IT/Call center ones in major cities, which are always in a hurry. You can recognize them by their honking and the way they zigzag on the road. You need to give them way because they have a service level agreement to ferry people to various uptown locations on time to serve customers all over the world. Considering the state of affairs on the road, it is a challenging job for those drivers - their job is at stake if they can't get in time and also our country's reputation with global customers!
• Pedestrians - according to some data, pedestrians are the #1 casualty on Indian roads. While being hit by cycle may not be a fatal one for the pedestrian, it can hurt the cyclist equally or worse. And according to the unwritten rule of the motor-chain, pedestrians are at the bottom of the chain and hence the cyclist will be at fault in case of an accident.
  
• Road humps - to prevent the unruly motorists from running amok, the most effective way seems to be the road humps that usually doesn't have any notices or visibility. It slows down the cyclist unnecessarily though it helps in reducing the speed of other vehicles.
• Pollution - this is as uncontrollable as the traffic on the road. It is not easy doing a cardio workout inhaling a lot of polluted air.

While it could be argued that it is not that bad on Indian roads as you may think it to be, subjective safety problems still prevent people from cycling on the streets. While helmets and safety vests may improve the perception of safety, the common man on the cycle cannot afford to buy good cycles leave alone gear for safety. Kids just spin around their homes or within their apartments, but once they grow up they either get on a motor bike or a car. Motor bikes and cars are affordable to more and more people which will drive them away from cycling which is considered "dangerous".

Image by Meanest Indian via Flickr

Ultimately, it is up to the individual to decide if cycling is important to them after considering all the risks involved in it. It is not for the risk averse laid back types for sure. For the common man, it is a good way to get away from the crowds in the bus and not having to wait for the bus or carry stuff around on them. They can buy a cycle for the money they spent on bus tickets for some months. For the white collar IT software types, it may be his deteriorating health (due to the sedentary lifestyle and the pressures inflicted on them by their companies) . While there are other ways to combat this, cycling can be made an integral part of the lifestyle if they can commute to work saving time by not going to a gym or getting up early to run or walk. You could spend the same amount of money that you might spend on a good Gym on a good cycle and flaunt it as well! You will have more time and health to handle the pressures at work. That is off course if you can get over the subjective safety and CIS.

So I am claiming my space on the road to commute to work 3 days in a week to get over my CIS and it is getting better for sure. May be I can drop the early morning runs on the other 2 days when I get over my CIS completely!