SC Rules on Road Safety

What is the issue?

• The Supreme Court recently pronounced its verdict on a PIL regarding road safety.
• The order despised the apathy over enforcing road safety rules.

What are the court's earlier directions?

• The periodic directions of the Supreme Court have not produced any dramatic change in the official attitude.
• Even the setting up of the “Committee on Road Safety” by the court to help implement its recommendations hasn’t brought good results.
• Currently, in its order passed for a PIL, the court provided for actionable points with deadlines for implementation.
• Importantly, all states and union territories have been asked to announce a “Road Safety Action Plan” by March 2018.
• A “Road Safety Fund” in all states and UTs has also been mandated, the corpus for which would come from traffic fines collected.

What are the structural flaws?

• The absence of a scientific approach to accident investigation in India remains a major factor in fixing responsibility.
• Other than the failed attempt to create a “National Road Safety & Traffic Management Board”, no effort has been made in this regard.
• The current SC orders also provide a road map to States to form District Road Safety Committees under the District Collectors.
• This should ensure that someone is accountable when citizens file complaints on hazardous conditions.

What are the challenges?

• Around 1.5 lakh people died in accidents in 2016, which represents a 3.2% rise over the previous year.
• The most effective measure to keep roads safe is enforcement of rules with zero tolerance to violations.
• While stringent penalties are being called for, even the existing minor penalties are not being imposed.
• Also, road conditions remain hazardous due to poor engineering.
• Notably, only half of the accidental death victims had received insurance compensation.
• All these are proof of the indifference in the system, and there is hence a need to make the system more responsive and responsible.

Source: The Hindu