Writing about the automobile industry for nearly two decades, and contributing a test drive column for nearly as long, has meant that I have driven almost every car that has been launched in the Indian market, in addition to many that haven't made it here too. Focusing on experiencing a car at the very edge of its performance abilities on a race track, while also being extremely conscious about driving safely on the road, has been part of the process of maturing as a motoring journalist.
One of the fallouts of attending many a professional driver training session and, of course, simply the many hours behind the wheel, is the elevated sense of caution, even while we motoring scribes gain the confidence to drive faster than the average Joe on the road. At least, that is the general formula. Like elsewhere in life, there are exceptions here too, but all of us are prone to a certain degree of what is known as 'Optimism Bias' — the feeling that bad things don't happen to us (on the road, here) and that it is others who are prone to making mistakes.
In fact, every time I've joined professional instructors for a training course on the track, the guys first demolish any traces of this optimism bias. Highlighting the risk of death behind the wheel is almost always what they start out with in the classroom session. In the regular on-road driving schools, these guys will surely be flops, losing all their customers to schools which encourage driving barefoot, don't enforce fundamental safety rules and are overly accommodative of their novice drivers’ errors.
Fears
So, now that I have adequately explained myself, maybe I won't come across as a snob when I say that I am terrified of sitting in cabs. I remember reading about Boris Becker saying that he sat petrified in the rear seat of his ride to an exhibition tennis match in Chennai a couple of decades ago. I can truly sympathise with him now. The chaotic traffic outside is one thing, but the reckless driving that many taxi drivers indulge in is the more frightening part. Many of my friends point out that I drive at much higher speeds, and I have to remind them that one can be reckless and dangerous at slow speeds too. Being proactive on the road and practising defensive driving are as important as following traffic rules.
Most taxi drivers in India are just people who have driven a car in the past, not necessarily the right way, and in many cases have never received formal training. On an average, I take about four cabs every week, usually on the way to and from the airport. And almost always I sit belted up in the rear seat and diagonally behind the taxi driver, so that I may be able to watch him (and sometimes her) focus on the road. I try to do my part by enquiring about the driver's past experience on the road, their health, especially their eyesight. And often I get annoyed responses — many drivers are quick to add that they know exactly what they are doing, probably sensing the suspicion in my tone.
But, guess what, the overwhelming majority of the cab drivers I have ridden with have never been trained formally. Many of them were older than I am and yet, except two of them — one who wore a pair of spectacles and the other who said he’d had cataract surgery recently — apparently had perfect vision.
Come to think of it, how many of the taxi drivers have you have encountered who wore spectacles? How about truck drivers, have you ever seen one wearing glasses? I haven't come across even one trucker with specs.
Urban taxi drivers
Surveys done in many countries have found that truck and taxi drivers are prone to fatigue and poor vision. In many developing markets, such as China and Brazil, they are also poorly paid, over-worked and lack awareness about safe driving. Apparently, the worst examples are found among city-based or urban taxi drivers who have no set pattern of alternating between driving and resting, while being forced to work extra hours everyday. The most worrying commutes for me have always been the ones late at night, when it is pretty clear that the driver has not rested during the day.
There has not been enough research done on the subject in India, but the consensus is that owner-drivers tend to be a bit more safety conscious than drivers working for a taxi operator. Owner-drivers also usually get more rest between assignments than their counterparts, who just drive for a salary or commission.
Rise of the taxi aggregators
There has been a surge in the popularity of taxi aggregators in the last few years. Most of them are attempting to bring in a semblance of propriety to the process of recruiting drivers by mandating training programmes before employing their services. This is as yet only a beginning. Also, much of this training is focused now on keeping the passenger safe from other risks, not so much associated with the ones on the road.
So, while we bicker and argue endlessly about the evils of surge pricing, pause a moment, and think about the drivers and their well-being too. I sure remember to thank them every time I alight from a cab, albeit with a sigh of relief.