There are rules, and then there are etiquettes. So also, there are traffic rules that are enforced and are meant to be obeyed, and then there are traffic etiquettes that people are expected to practice. While traffic rules are about laws, traffic etiquettes are about propriety. This means that traffic rules and traffic etiquettes are different but complementary to each other.
We often see signs that read ‘Obey Traffic Rules’ but nowhere do we see ‘Obey Traffic Etiquette’ because, unlike laws or rules, etiquette cannot be enforced. It can only be practiced or lived. Etiquette is like an unwritten code of conduct, a conventional set of rules or norms that are accepted by the society as a customary code of polite behavior. It is about personal behavior and ethics.
Mokokchung, of late, has been experiencing a lot of traffic woes. Almost all of the motorists have experienced being stuck in the traffic snarl in Mokokchung. Yes, the roads are just too narrow and the vehicles keep increasing year after year. Unless some mega projects are undertaken to ease the flow of traffic, like building a flyover or a tunnel or a ring road, traffic woes will keep bothering us and it will only get worse as the years go by.
Meanwhile, the authorities can at the most plan, regulate or enforce traffic rules to mitigate the problem. This brings us to the role of the citizens, the common people, in alleviating the problem that affects them the most. Without active participation and cooperation of the people, it is difficult to even assume that the traffic woes would subside. This is where the importance of traffic etiquette comes into play.
If each and every motorist practices traffic etiquette, then the traffic woes can be significantly minimized. We are always in a hurry and we try to squeeze in our vehicle anywhere, we make turns in the middle of the traffic, we park our vehicle haphazardly, all the while making it worse for others. Straying over the lane marker, overtaking others, honking the horn unnecessarily, and idling in the middle of the road obstructing the flow of traffic are not the best of traffic etiquettes.
Adopting and practicing traffic etiquette as a way of life can not only ease the traffic woes but also build the character of the town. Traffic etiquette is about mutual respect, self-discipline, patience and civic sense. Traffic etiquette should become second nature to every motorist. Being embarrassed to flout the traffic rules is a virtue.