Picture this. Margao 10:30 am during peak rush hour. You arein an air conditioned car with your windows rolled up. The music system is onand your earphones are plugged on. Suddenly a child crosses the road but youare engrossed in the music and lulled by the air conditioner. You head straightfor the child, who screams, you don’t hear and run him/her over. This hashappened once too often.
Activist and noted Ear-Nose-Throat doctor and Secretary ofthe ENT Association of Goa, Dr Jorson Fernandes pointed out, “When a person ison a call, or listening to music with earphones on, all their emotions are alsoon the call. Distractions caused out of anger or joy will automatically hit thebrain and cause a difference in one’s driving. But the issue is tricky. Merelyplugging on headphones wouldn’t mean they are in use while the newer one’scannot be differentiated from a hearing aid. So we can’t really crackdown orban use of headphones.”
Dr Jorson also pointed out many instances when a policemenhimself is on a mobile handset, instead of directing traffic or even sometimesriding and using their mobile phones, which itself is a bad example to thepublic.
Traffic Cell, DYSP, Guruprasad Mhapne said that using acellphone directly or through an earphone device amounts to same and policehave authority to book the individual for rash and negligent driving underSection 184 of the Motor Vehicles Act.
The rule allows police to book anybody who is using anearphone to make a call or listen to music. The use of loud music while drivingis also an offence,” asserted Mhapne.
But the Road Transport Office Assistant Director, Abhay Naikwas unaware of any rules on earphones and stated that it is impossible to booksomeone on the basis of seeing them using earphones, because there is noevidence if they are in use or not.
Surprisingly another inspector in the same office was awareof a High Court judgement circulated by the Ministry of Road and SurfaceTransport in 2011 that bans use of earphones while commuting.
Medical Superintendent of Hospicio and noted ENT Dr P DNachinolkar was divided on the issue and believes that as long as the limbs andhands are not allowed in a conversation, anybody using earphones is fine sinceit doesn’t mean that when more than two people commute in a car there is noverbal interaction.
Meanwhile, a popular automobile website pointed out a 2007notification wherein Maharashtra police had banned use of headphones or listeningof music or conversing through headphones or Bluetooth devices. But theloophole then was that the public would switch off their mobile before beingbooked and prove to the cop that the earphone was not in use, also thecrackdown took a toll on police manpower in Mumbai and the rule was seized inearly 2008.
Overdrive India’s automobile journalist, Ashok Georgepointed out, “It’s mostly a pedestrian who gets into an accident when earphonesare used. Any accident is more because of negligence and less of a mistake.Banning something for negligence is not justified. How far will you banearphones?”
The solution therefore lies beyond authorities or the law.Simply, quite simply, this is an awareness and sensitivity issue and a seriousawareness campaign is needed to see that children like Shivashruti and Roshnidon’t die.
