What If Drones Monitored Traffic?

Earlier a weekend joy ride, the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, has now earned itself the name, Death Trap. Things came to such a pass that authorities in the city decided to use drones to monitor traffic movement on the stretch. "Incidents of road accidents have increased due to the indiscipline of vehicles and their rash driving. We do not have control over rash driving as the length of the expressway is long and there is insufficient police staff for surveillance," Maharashtra Minister of State for Home (Urban) Deepak Kesarkar told media, advocating using drones to solve the issue.

In fact, as the number of hit-and-run cases on roads rise, the union transport ministry had earlier this year suggested the use of drones to nab rash and reckless drivers. This move, ministry told media, could prove to be a game-changer in traffic management methods.

While the viability of this method could be questioned, there are also unanswered questions on its effectiveness. It has to be noted that it would cost government agencies to carry out regular drone monitoring of roads. Any truant activity will also amount to drivers going back to business as usual. However, that is not the primary issue.

A normal driver on the road does not go for responsible driving because they will have to pay a fine if they failed to do so. More so, if they are certain they can “settle” the matter easily. Behind responsible driving lie many behavioural and related human issues, monitoring which is a task almost impossible to achieve. This is why while drone monitoring could be a tool to nab offenders, heavy fines will also be more effective in teaching people to stick to the speed limit. This would prove to be even more effective if reckless drivers are not entertained to “settle” matters and get away with the crime.  

According to the Association for Safe International Road Safety, about 1.3 million people die in road accidents across the world every year while an additional 20-50 million are injured or disabled. Despite their advanced traffic monitoring systems, even developed nations have not been able to fully curb road accidents. What occurs owing to human errors may not be totally sorted by technological advancements; they can only play a supportive cast.