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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