What is the issue?
- In 2015, there were over 4,50,000 accidents in the country, of which nearly 1,50,000 were fatal, amounting to 410 deaths and some 1,300 injuries every day.
- National highways and state expressways accounted for two-thirds of these deaths.
What are some of the myths about road accidents?
- The US, UK and Japan, where the accident rate was increasing till 1970, when a number of measures made roads safer. The improved design and technology of cars also led to a fall in accidents.
- But in many Indian cities, according to the National Crime Records Bureau, the accident rate has gone up two to five times in the last five years — this must be due to the burgeoning “automobilisation” of our society.
- A researcher from IIT Delhi is fond of challenging the mythology that penal measures by themselves lead to better safety.
- He believes there was a paradigm shift abroad: Instead of forcing people to adapt to traffic situations, countries worked on eliminating risk factors from traffic.
- In other words, instead of blaming bad drivers, the authorities treated people as “normal” and worked on reforming the system.
- Another myth is that as countries get richer, the number of accidents decline.
- But, an urbanised and literate state like Tamil Nadu topped the fatality rate among states in 2014, followed by Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
What could be done?
- The alternative approach, such as that adopted in Sweden, is to shift the onus for accidents from drivers to the road transport system.
- The system must be so designed that it accommodates the individual who has the worst protection and lowest tolerance to road violence.
- This would obviously include the young, elderly and physically challenged.
- The much-vaunted “greening” of highways in India, without proper safeguards, is actually hazardous because a speeding car can veer off and hit a tree, proving fatal.
- Roundabouts at important intersections can greatly reduce accidents, as much of Lutyens’ Delhi should know.
- It is a no-brainer that a reduction in traffic speed reduces accidents, so devices such as speed-breakers are essential.
- The American Journal of Public Health points out that speed “humps” reduce the dangers to children by a half to two-thirds.
- A 1% increase in speed leads to a 3% increase in deaths, which is why New York City has reduced the maximum speed from 50 to 40 kmph.
- Four-lane highways are very accident-prone, which is why all traffic “calming” measures are required.
- Simple improvements, like bright lights at junctions, speed cameras, a police presence and making helmets compulsory can work wonders.
- Seat belts worn even at the rear, which is seldom done here, can lower the risk of death to occupants by upto three-quarters.
What is the way forward?
- The bill to amend the Motor Vehicles Act passed by the Lok Sabha last week, by increasing fines five-fold and even more, misses the point because drivers aren’t necessarily deterred by such fines.
- Instead, frequent, visible and unpredictable checks not by electronic means will help more.
- Further, there are no permanent safety experts in central agencies like the National Highways Authority of India and in states.
- However, given that drivers of vehicles on highways earn around Rs 15,000 a month, fines and other measures may indeed act as a caution.
Source: The Indian Express
