The road to safety

A road accident occurs almost every minute in India. With over 1.5 lakh deaths recorded last year, India is the most unsafe country across the globe for road users, way ahead of China (around 63,000 deaths) and the US (about 37,000), according to World Road Statistics-2018 released by the Geneva-based International Road Federation (IRF). This not-for-profit organisation has urged the Chief Ministers of Punjab and Haryana to join hands with it to curb accident fatalities. Both states are not among the table toppers in terms of road deaths. In 2018, the top three were Uttar Pradesh (22,256), Maharashtra (13,261) and Tamil Nadu (12,216), according to the annual report of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Haryana (5,118 deaths) is ranked 14th, while Punjab (4,740) is at the 18th spot. However, considering that the two states have a far smaller population and geographical area compared to the likes of UP and Maharashtra, the numbers are no less alarming.

Speeding accounts for about 65 per cent of the road deaths countrywide, underscoring the impunity with which traffic rules are violated. The rot sets in at the licensing stage itself as many applicants manage to bypass the laid-down procedure through touts. The laxity or complicity of officials gives incompetent drivers the liberty to run riot. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, has the provision for remedial/refresher courses for drivers, but it’s the enforcement that leaves a lot to be desired. Playing the populist card, several states have withheld the implementation of this legislation or slashed hefty fines for traffic violations.

India is a signatory to the 2015 Brasilia declaration, under which it vowed to reduce the number of road accidents and deaths to half by 2020. This goal looks improbable as the annual death toll has hovered around the 1.5-lakh mark in recent years. For a start, all kinds of offenders should be penalised — corrupt licensing officials, rash drivers, contractors responsible for faulty road design, and vehicle-makers who fail to meet production standards. The services of organisations like the IRF should be readily availed to sensitise various stakeholders. Let’s go the extra mile to make our roads safer.