Horror – Safety on Highways!!

India has once again ranked to the top in the list of the highest number of road accidents in the world. Most of the accidents that are being witnessed in the country are happening due to the sole reason for reckless driving. Unless the administration’s rules and regulations turn stringent, celebrating the Road Safety Weeks every year can not be able to save lives.

Hyderabad (Telangana): India has been celebrating the Road Safety Weeks, every year with great pomp and show. Irrespective of the same, it is heartening to know that India has once again ranked to the top in the list of the highest number of road accidents in the world. Last year, around 13, 50,000 people across the world, have met with death on road out of which around 11% ie.,1,50,000 deaths are reported to be in India itself!!

Death-toll increased by 2.4%

As compared to the rate of accidents in the year 2017, there is a recorded increase of 5% in accidents, out of which around 2.5% has resulted in deaths! In terms of the accident, the following states are ranked the top three of India, as per the per cent of a number of accidents:

• Tamilnadu – 13.7%

• Madhya Pradesh – 11%

• Uttar Pradesh – 9.1%

While the following states occupy the highest rank in a number of accidental deaths:

• Uttar Pradesh – 22,256

• Maharashtra – 13,261

• Tamilnadu – 12,216

• Andhra Pradesh – 7,556 &

• Telangana – 6,603

The Cumulative death toll in both the Telugu states reaches an alarming figure of 14,159, which tops at 2nd place in the above-stated list. Around 97558 lives lost so far.

In spite, of the various statutory warnings like ‘Speed Thrills – But Kills’, that government keep spreading all over the nation, it is the unmindful recklessness with which the drivers are speeding that is resulting in the numerous accidents and deaths, about 64.4% ie., around 97,558 people in a year, as per the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways.

Closely following the reason for speed, is the reason for driving in the wrong direction, because of which around 8764 deaths have been reported. According to a survey done by the ‘Save Life’ Foundation, there has been the highest number of reported accidents even in the areas where the Motor Vehicle Amendment Act has been introduced. This is once again proving our failure in curtailing the ever-increasing road accidents and the resulting death toll, thereby creating a huge loss in most of the families. 50 lakh lives to be saved by 2020.

The United Nations Organisation, while proposing 2011-2020 as the decade long celebrations of Road Safety Activities, had called out to the nations to save at least 50 lakh of lives by the end of 2020. India had also come forward and took up this initiative, but is struggling to extract the expected results at the lowest levels of operations. Unfortunately, in India, for every hour there are about 53 road accidents and 17 death cases that are standing exemplary for such a failure.

India crosses China too.. in a high rate of accidental cases.

In the year 2005, while India recorded a huge number of road accidents to the tune of 95,000, China had touched the figure of almost around 99,000. However, as the year's pass, India is shooting up with an increase in its number of road accidents, while China had been taking various steps to bring the speed limits into strict check, thereby reducing the annual number of accidents happening in China.

China creates a record.

By the year 2011, China was utilizing around 12 CRS of electric vehicles. These vehicles have a controlled system of speed, due to which the high speeds are kept in control and the bikers can no longer speed their bikes recklessly. Thus, the death toll had automatically been put in check. The last year’s death toll in China, due to road accidents had drastically come down to 63000!!

The United States of America, which is looked upon as the country that has the highest vehicular traffic, last year, has also succeeded in dropping about 5% of the mortal rate of accidental deaths when compared to 36,560 deaths in 2017. Incidents, that included the death of innocents and pedestrians due to the reckless driving of the vehicular traffic has brought about the change in America’s administration, resulting in lowering the death rate of the country. In India, we are yet to witness this development, though, on an average, we are losing about 62 pedestrians per day, resulting in an increase of a whopping 84% rise, because of the recklessness of the vehicular traffic. 35.7% of deaths on not more than 2% of road length in the country.

Indian highways are around 2% of length on the surface and there are around 35.7% of accidental deaths. Also, around 2.97% long state roadways have witnessed about 26.8% of accidents and resulting deaths. About 45% of these deaths are solely for the simple reason that drivers do not heed to the statutory warnings being given by the governments. The state of AP alone has witnessed 1200 such deaths. Andhra Pradesh rates 31.8% while Telangana rates around 29.3%.

In the southern states of India, while Kerala surprises us with the lowest rate of 10.7% of deaths, AP and Telangana are sporting 31.3% and 29.3% of death rate respectively. Most of these deaths are a result of reckless driving while drinking, talking on the mobile or other distractions. Around 1,14,000 accidental deaths are no doubt a result of such reckless driving.

18-45-year-olds driving into death!

Most of the accidents that are being witnessed in the country are happening due to the sole reason of such reckless driving being done by drivers in the age group of 18-45 years, who are the bread-winners of lakhs of dependent families. These accidents have been ridding the families to a life of bankruptcy and extreme poverty, which in no way can be comparable to the proclaimed 3% loss to the country’s GDP.

Unless the administration’s rules and regulations turn stringent and the rule-breakers are fined with higher fines and punishment, it is quite evident that the country’s population cannot be on a safer highway to development!!!