Barlen Munusami: "Not Easy to Change Road Users Behavior"

> The speed limit at 70 km / h will soon be imposed on heavy goods vehicles. Was there a need for this measure?

July 1 is the deadline set by the National Transport Authority (NTA) for all heavy goods vehicles traveling on roads Mauritian be equipped with a cruise control. This is a really important rules. However, compared to European countries, Mauritius has been delayed. When we talk about trucks, the public tends to believe that this concerns only the trucks. However, this also includes buses.

The cruise control will help, at least excess, to automatically reduce the speed of trucks. That said, more a vehicle is traveling at high speed, the more impact at the time of the accident is important. On bus, the passengers who are most at risk because they do not wear seatbelts. It may, unfortunately, so have many injuries and even deaths. A truck loaded, it represents a serious danger to people outside, particularly because of the kinetic energy induced by the vehicle. It has therefore become essential to limit the speed of these trucks. And for that we can not rely solely on driver.

Note that even if the regulation is not yet in force, some companies were cutting edge by equipping their vehicles with cruise control. There are other means used to ensure that their drivers do not ignore the speed limit.

> In five months, more than 24,000 tickets for speeding were noted. Do you consider these alarming statistics?

Without a doubt! Let's face it: there are a considerable number of irresponsible on our roads. Even if the police do their job as they should, some drivers reoffend. The penalty does not seem to discourage them. We deplore many fatal accidents. Despite awareness campaigns, carelessness or indifference of some drivers about the dangers of the road remains. They think that accidents only happen to other people. We must change this mindset and to review the sanctions to discourage motorists from speeding.

> Does this come with even tougher measures, including the license points?

Definitely, there is a problem of mentality in Mauritius. Sanctioning carelessness on the road. Studies show that 90% of accidents are caused by human error, intentional or not. To remedy the situation, we must attack the evil at its roots. It is not easy to change the behavior of road users. Some means 'soft' (such as awareness campaigns) are considered. The carelessness prevails, and a mentality of 'I care less'.

After the carrot, the stick. The driver's license points is the 'stick strategy', to punish irresponsible. Drivers know that their license is at risk at the slightest misstep. Lose their license is synonymous with loss of mobility and independence. We think twice before playing the fool at the wheel.

> According to the World Health Organization, the particles contained in diesel are carcinogenic. What do you recommend?

Some devices can be in contravention of vehicle smoke. I want to emphasize that Europe and India, we adopted a new concept: the "Stop & Start". The driver cut the engine if the vehicle is to be detained longer than 30 seconds. This has economic benefits (fuel consumption) and on the health of users. Stop & Start has proven itself. If in a traffic jam, more than 100 convey adopt this concept, a sharp reduction in the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) is noted.

> Driver training is flawed. To have their license, they methodically learn the code they are struggling to put into practice thereafter. Your opinion?

Arch-I said, there is a module of defensive driving. However, many instructors do not auto focus on this point. The majority of clients are interested in obtaining their license. Become a good driver is a long process. Today, alas, there are courses tailored. People want their license at the earliest.

To become a good driver, you must observe good: good maneuver his vehicle, while driving at night, in rain, etc ... Today, only consider the cost of driving lessons. Apprentices learn only drivers to have their license.

> As an expert road, do you have other books in the works?

Indeed, I am preparing a book to be on the market by the end of the year. He will discuss defensive driving. A concept that is certainly not new but is unknown Mauritians. This book explains how to plan ahead and anticipating how the actions and reactions of other motorists on the road. This will be very useful to avoid accidents.

Stabilize the speed

The cruise control is a system to automatically stabilize the speed of motor vehicles and / or set a maximum speed limit (known as speed limiter). The driver sets the speed at which it wants to drive then the automation takes over and maintains the set speed.

Invented in 1945 by the inventor and mechanical engineer Ralph Teetor American, the first cruise was installed in the Chrysler Imperial in 1958. The twenty-first century, most vehicles sold in the U.S. have them.

This system is practical for long distances and generally allows optimum use of fuel, especially when it comes to adaptive cruise control. It also avoids speeding inadvertently.