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Road Safety Norms: RULES BRAZENLY FLOUTED, By Dr S Saraswathi, 25 Jan, 2017 Print E-mail

Events & Issues

New Delhi, 25 January 2017

Road Safety Norms

RULES BRAZENLY FLOUTED

By Dr S Saraswathi

(Former Director, ICSSR, New Delhi)

 

It is a national shame to learn that India accounts for 11 per cent of global road accidents with about 1.46 lakh fatalities, which is said to be the highest in the world. We may try to find an excuse and hide behind the indisputable fact that by territorial and population size India is much larger than many other countries, which makes comparisons unfair. But, the truth that travel by road is becoming a nightmare in many cities cannot be denied.

 

According to the data of the National Crime Research Bureau and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, top ten cities reporting fatal road accidents are Delhi, Chennai, Jaipur, Bangalore, Mumbai, Kanpur, Lucknow, Agra, Hyderabad, and Pune. Two-wheelers account for about 25 per cent of road crash deaths.

 

Every year ‘Road Safety Week’ is being observed all over the world in January and India has not lagged behind. The week was formally observed in January 11-17, when several measures were announced by the Government of India. The theme adopted is “Road Safety: Time for Action”. The target set is to reduce road accidents by 50 per cent by 2019.

 

It is common knowledge and universally acknowledged that, “Accident is painful, Safety is gainful”. But, each country needs a specific theme to launch action programmes. While western countries are presently worried over the speed problem, India is facing multiple hazards in road travel requiring immediate action.

 

World Bank projections indicate that global road fatalities will increase by over 65 per cent between 2000 and 2020 unless road safety measures are adopted and implemented. Low and middle-income countries are found more vulnerable and likely to experience enormous increase of fatal accidents by about 80 per cent while high-income countries are expected to reduce such incidents by about 30 per cent. It establishes a link in inverse proportion between income level and accidents – the lower the income, the higher the number of accidents and points towards road conditions and road use in causing accidents.

 

The WHO and the World Bank jointly issued the World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention on World Health Day in 2004 which signalled the growing concern in the global community about the health losses due to increasing motorisation and the need to take urgent  measures to reduce their social and economic costs. This report opened an additional responsibility in urbanization for ensuring safe transportation. The UN General Assembly since then has passed Resolutions requiring member-countries to implement the recommendations made in the Report.

 

The blueprint provided in the World Report emphasises that road safety is a joint responsibility of the government, industry, business, NGOs, international agencies, knowledgeable persons from different disciplines, along with the general public.

 

Chaotic traffic in all cities including the metropolitan cities is a common urban condition in India which in any other country could surely cause much more accidents. We cannot but admire the survival capacity of road users-- pedestrians and animals, vehicle drivers and passengers,    roadside vendors and buyers, and small traders, workers and their clients - to manoeuvere to carry on their work, and to move safely and reach their destinations. No wonder, Indian drivers have a good demand in some foreign countries.

 

Requirements for road safety in India do not rest solely with the drivers. UN Global Road Safety Week (May 2017) may focus on speed as the biggest risk factor on roads. But, in India, there are several other factors that demand our prior attention to ensure safety on roads.

 

Urbanisation is growing fast and smart city projects have been launched. Road safety is a primary requirement in this task. Various sectors have to take this seriously, particularly those dealing with development and management of roads, manufacturing of vehicles, and care of accident victims which are three different fields – public works, automobile industry, and medicine and healthcare.

 

The Government of India is advocating adoption of four E’s of road safety – education, enforcement, engineering (roads and vehicles), and emergency care. The strategies to be adopted are integral part of these factors. Hence providing for road safety is not an independent activity, but is a complex issue that requires unified approach and separate action without even requiring the presence of personnel from these areas in one place.

 

The Report of the Committee on Road Safety and Traffic Management was released in February 2007 and a National Road Safety Policy was also approved. Government has also constituted the National Road Safety Council as the apex body to take policy decisions. All State and Union Territories are required to set up State Road Safety Council and District Road Safety Committees.

 

Measures adopted on the Road Safety Week this year include constitution of a Road Safety Authority, adoption of a law to develop a secure, efficient, cost-effective, sustainable and inclusive transport system, identification of black spots across the country, making air bags compulsory in cars, and curbing irregularities in issuing driving licences. Recently, the Supreme Court has issued orders to remove liquor shops on and near national highways to reduce drunken driving. 

 

The problem of road safety in India is very different from that in the US or European countries.    Establishment of a centralised road safety agency as in many countries is not enough. Condition of roads and multiple use of road space in India account for major portion of road accidents and not speed. Driver fault is only one of the causes of accidents.

 

Road laying and maintenance do not show professionalism in most cities and towns. Levelling is so poor that pedestrians cannot walk without slipping. Slightest drizzle causes potholes, and constant digging by different authorities worsens condition of roads.

 

No rules of public authorities are so openly flouted without fear of consequences like road rules.  Lane rules and one-way traffic are not followed as a rule, and the traffic police show no concern. Signals are not strictly observed. Pedestrians behave as if roads belong to them and cross roads at any place. Juvenile driving without licence is a growing menace within residential blocks. Licensing system itself needs to be upgraded. Privileges of VIPs on road use need a re-look.

 

Not all vehicles are in road-worthy condition, but, fitness certificates are liberally issued. While vehicles running in different speed are on roads side by side, animals (cows, buffalos, dogs, and cats) use roads as part of our culture and are expected to observe signals.

 

Much talked about encroachments of roads is a growing menace in all places drastically reducing space for road users. Platforms are vendors’ property; streets and lanes are turned into automobile workshops; cab owners claim right to park their vehicles on roads as payers of vehicle tax; and rallies, processions and temple festivals block roads throughout the year as part of our way of life. Roads are thus used for diverse activities and not just for commuting.

 

Our immediate task is to restore roads for road users for travel from place to place. This has to be the first norm in ensuring road safety. Equally important task, which does not involve expenditure or expertise, is to enforce prescribed road rules without fear or favour.

 

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

 

 

 

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