Traffic Part 2- Mental Speed Bumps

Based on the overwhelming response for the previous blog on traffic( 4 comments and  2 of them mine) I have decided to write; Traffic Part 2 . My love for the Indian cow continues. Its role in regulating traffic has not been appreciated by everyone. But according to Tom Vanderbilt,  the author a book called "Traffic  -Why we drive the way we do"got this response when he posed  a question to Mr Pereira (a traffic authority in New Delhi) about  Indian cows lying in the street and blocking traffic. 

Mr Pereira said - Let me correct a little misperception. The presence of a cow in a congested urban area is no hazard. Much as I don't like the presence of a cow on the road, when I am advocating smoother traffic and convenience , the presence of a cow  forces a person to slow down. Overall effect is to reduce speed and rash driving. Mr Vanderbilt adds that cows in effect act as 'mental speed bump' a term coined by an Australian traffic activist  named David Engwicht. With regular speed bumps the cars just speed from one to the next, there is no uncertainty about it.

So Once again I salute you the great Indian Cow.

Now I have been wishing everyone happy Pongal or Dasara, right and left, you may say. It was pointed out to me that its too early to celebrate Dasara . Thanks Gayathri Krishnan and Vasanthy for correcting me. Among the millions who have read my blog and started preparing for the Dasara festival, please wait. It will come soon in Oct 2010. Looking back , I mistook Dasara for another festival which is usually celebrated in the North in January called Sankranthi. You can now see why I was confused.

Prabhakar Devavaram