Opinion Take it to the road
Road safety or lack of it has,of late,again been brought into tragic limelight by a series of accidents involving high-profile people.
Road safety or lack of it has,of late,again been brought into tragic limelight by a series of accidents involving high-profile people. Isnt it a crying shame for a country that proclaims itself to be a potential superpower to top the table with about 10 per cent of the worlds road accidents? Road crashes in the country took a toll of close to 130,000 people in 2007. Every hour as many as 15 Indians die in road accidents. Traffic deaths in India have been rising at 8 per cent annually.
Among Indias cities,Delhi suffers the highest number of annual road traffic deaths (2,169 in 2006),followed by Chennai (1,136),Bangalore (919) and Mumbai (669). Some two-thirds of the fatalities happen on highways; in fact,over 80 per cent so in Haryana and over 95 per cent in Bihar.
Roads in India typically carry a bewildering mix of traffic. Pedestrians,push-bikes,hand-drawn and animal-drawn carts,pedal rickshaws,motorised two- and three-wheelers,tractors,tempos and a variety of animals compete for space with cars,buses and trucks,all driven at varying speeds. Add to this deeply potholed roads,frequent failure of traffic signals and absent or apathetic traffic policemen,and you have a lethal combination. Zebra crossings are often provided but,knowing the propensity of drivers to test the nimbleness of the pedestrians,none but the brave will use them. Pedestrians have a propensity of their own,namely,jay-walking. It is small wonder that the maximum casualties are among them. Heavy vehicles are associated with 50-70 per cent of fatal road crashes in urban areas where two in every three road fatalities involve pedestrians. The 2001 Census estimated over 778,000 urban homeless living on roads classified as pedestrians among whom about 1,000 die every year,victims of over-speeding and other road hazards.
Road death and injury is preventable. Most crashes are caused by human failure. A WHO-World Bank report,2004,details the generic key road injury risk factors such as callous vehicle driving,drunk driving,lack of helmet use,seat-belt non-compliance,excessive speed,poor,almost non-existent,schooling and monitoring and,above all,chaotic growth of urban areas. Basic infrastructure,such as clear signs and road delineation or markings,is essential if road users are to know what they are expected to do and if traffic law is to be effectively enforced. Signalled pedestrian crossings in several countries are seen to have reduced crashes by up to 30 per cent and overtaking lanes by 25 per cent. Separate/ secure space is considered essential for pedestrians and cyclists in urban and sub-urban areas.
Effective safety management would involve proper design and infrastructure for example,service roads along the highways for short distance local traffic,adequate run-off area without impediments and,where this is not feasible,guard rails or concrete jersey barriers with proper road markings.
Some countries have introduced ISA (Intelligent Speed Adaptation) by way of an electronic map in a car connected to GPS to know all along what the speed limit is. The use of lidar gun along with video-graphy helps determine the speed and volume of traffic,the range and velocity of selected errant vehicles.
Excessive speed is really a major villain. Speed management is critical for managing a safe road system. According to a WHO analysis,a 5 per cent increase in average speed leads to about 10 per cent increase in road crashes that cause injuries,and a 20 per cent increase in fatal crashes. A 10 per cent increase in speed leads to a 30 per cent increase in deaths.
Clearly,the road safety issue has a multi-sectoral characteristic,in effect,the three Es of road safety regime: education,engineering and enforcement. A road safety audit needs to be integrated at all stages of road development starting at the design stage. The Motor Vehicles Act may be amended for rules and laws to be indeed stringent,for example,for overloaded vehicles,for minors driving automobiles,and for mandatory periodical effective inspection for their road-worthiness. Simultaneously it is imperative to ensure countrywide compliance,for example,with mandatory helmet and seat-belt use,drinking and driving rules,use of mobile phone,speed limits,and minimum child safety measures,together with inculcation of basic road safety knowledge among school children. Appropriate road safety campaigns should be a regular year-long staple.
With scarce,rapidly diminishing civic sense,the call is tough. Pavements and footpaths are mulcted by parked vehicles or encroached by cars and hawkers; rubble and remnants are left strewn at building sites and repair spots; potholes and craters on roads remain unattended. Many roads do not withstand even one monsoon. Not only do potholes appear but there are plague spots which get flooded after every heavy shower.
A major overhaul in the driving licence regime is also imperative. Punitive penalty deterrence has generally been missing. All this is tantamount to bad governance. Government must be seen to govern. Effective and efficient traffic management will demonstrate there is a government with a will to govern.
The writer was the first MD of the Container Corporation of India
express@expressindia.com
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