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Road Accident Deaths and Traffic Safety-When will we wake up?

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One life lost every 3.6 minutes, 400 deaths a day, 1.46 lakh deaths in 2015….these alarming statistics are not from any war-ravaged country but the daily massacre on our roads. India has the dubious distinction of registering the highest number of road fatalities in the world, despite the fact that its population is much smaller than China and there are more vehicles on US roads than in India.

This avoidable loss of human life is an indelible blot and should shake the conscience of the nation. What pains and surprises me is that all our key decision makers…..be it ministers, MPs, bureaucrats, top cops have extensively travelled across the world, seen it for themselves how traffic is regulated in these countries and would happily talk about it on return to India. Yet, despite being fully aware of issues relating to road safety & traffic management but unfortunately, no systemic changes are being initiated in spite of exponential growth in number of vehicles, new roads/ highways and ever increasing count of road deaths!!

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While we are shouting from rooftops about being the fastest growing economy of the world, how about the tag of “Indian roads being a graveyard” over which nobody seems to have any control? Economic progress is useless without progress on other aspects of human development which make a country civilised. Today we are considered to be a manner less country which is evident in every facet of our life…..on the roads, the way we honk, the way we stop anywhere, way we run across to cross roads, in our lack of cleanliness in daily life…..throwing garbage, spitting everywhere…..even educated & well-heeled people do not think twice before rolling down the windows of their glitzy cars & throwing garbage out or spitting while driving, in loudly talking on mobiles in public places, metros etc, the way we conduct ourselves …….the list is endless!!

However, it is important to list down some of the key issues relating to road safety which needs to be addressed:

1. Flawed road design & engineering
2. Faulty signals & poor maintenance
3. Drunken driving
4. Complete lack of adherence to traffic rules including signal jumping
5. Educating/ penalising pedestrians not following rules, crossing roads haphazardly
6. Poor or no enforcement of traffic rules.
7. Lack of use of technology in traffic management & enforcement.
8. Trucks, buses, cars and motorbikes vying for space on the country’s roads and highways, which are crammed with bicycles, rickshaws and even bullock carts and hand-drawn carts. Hawkers on pavements often force pedestrians to walk on the roads.

Road accidents, roads, deaths, safety

Some of the possible solutions that we need to implement, as of yesterday, are:

1. Lay down benchmarks for road designing for all authorities to follow and ensure that all our roads are designed properly & built to global standards. This should be mandatory for new roads & existing roads also need to be set right in phases under a strict time bound program.

2. The traffic signals need to be placed correctly, lit properly, free of any obstacles/ hindrances in front of them including electric poles, banners, hoarding, trees etc to provide clear visibility. Periodic maintenance is a must and should preferably be solar powered to avoid breakdowns in case of electricity disruption.

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3. Need to put the fear of God and crack the whip in case of drunken driving. Uniformity of laws on this subject is a crying necessity. We can take the example of Japan where one cannot just drive irrespective of the quantity of alcohol consumed. People found driving drunk need to put away behind bars for a minimum period of one to three days. They are a serious safety threat not only to themselves but also to the society at large. Mumbai has shown some way in this regard.

4. While ensuring realistic speed limits are prescribed , there should be Zero tolerance for traffic offences including honking and stiff penalties need to be levied especially for signal jumping, wrong side driving, stop line violation & speeding. Similarly, no automobile manufacturer should be permitted to install pressure horns on their vehicles as part of their original equipment.

5. Pedestrians should only be allowed to cross the roads from Zebra crossing & traffic signals provide an option for the same but it is seldom used in our country. In addition to the traffic light for pedestrian crossing, the signal should also emit a continuous sound to aid the pedestrians when the light is green for them. Pedestrians also need to await their turn for crossing the road & respect the right of the motorists rather than just walking or running down the road in trying to cross while the light is green for motorists.

6. Roads need to be cleaned up of multiple types of transport. Non – motorised & slow moving transport should not be allowed on main roads. Sidewalks need to be cleared of hawkers so that pedestrians do not spill onto the road. Buses to halt only in designated bus boxes & not in the middle of the road. All this requires deep surgery rather than band-aid solutions.

Road accidents, roads, deaths, safety

7. We have to ensure the use of technology for this purpose not only to catch the offenders but also to reduce corruption & increase transparency. Use of cameras including speed cameras at strategic locations in the city and highways are a must. Using interceptors to chase down the offenders will create a very strong deterrent for the public provided interceptors are used most visibly for this purpose rather than just idling at traffic intersections as PCR vans. In my last 30 years of stay in Delhi/ Gurgaon, despite it being emblazoned across the vehicle, not seen any such interceptor be it a four wheeler or a motorcycle chasing down any traffic offender? Delhi Police may give figures about the fines collected but if this is not visible to the general public, it is of little use & impact. It probably has become another police vehicle mostly used for VIP duties.

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8. Similarly, there should be a common integrated central database of vehicle registrations & driving licenses issued across the country with access to both the state & central Govt authorities & traffic police. This will ensure that traffic violations, wherever & whichever vehicle commits, it does not go unpunished. There has to be a common minimum program agreed between the Centre & States for this purpose.

9. We need to create a separate traffic wing with necessary policing powers for the highways which will do the job of patrolling & enforcement on highways. The cost of this police force should come out of the fines collected from offenders who break traffic rules on the highways. We need to involve corporate houses especially the automobile companies in raising the much-needed funds for ensuring better traffic management as part of CSR effort. I am sure they would be more than happy to do so if the end use of funds is ensured & enforcement becomes visible.

10. Traffic police needs to be properly trained for enforcing traffic rules. They should be fully aware of all the traffic rules & its implementation and the public should be in awe of them. They should be role models for the general public. Similarly. traffic discipline in school curriculums will have an impact only when children see for themselves that people follow traffic rules & are punished for violations of the same.

There are many more things that can be done but the above are to make a start! GDP growth rate alone is not the only barometer of a nation’s success………….but bringing about improvements in other areas like traffic management, road safety, pollution, public transport, cleanliness, amenities for common citizens etc are the true reflection of a civilized and progressive country.

Needless to say, this is a wake-up call and things can only be allowed to drift only at nation’s peril!!

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