Prakash Borde: Yes, Government should give top most priority to safety on road. As we have seen the number of deaths in accidents is rising and it is a matter of great concern. Due to rapid urbanisation, number of vehicles in the country have increased tremendously, resulting in traffic problems.
As far as safety on road is concerned, there is urgent need to concentrate on this issue and to provide better resources to reduce accidents. The government should become more alert and strict while providing driving licences and if anyone is found involved in accidents two -three times, then there should be provisions for cancelling licence permanently.
The government should improve road conditions and provide better light facilities on roads. Many accidents occur due to insufficeint light on roads. The Public Works Department should think of every aspect before making roads and should build dividers, speed breakers with reflectors whereever necessary and should be abreast of new technologies.
It is often seen that people don't help victims of any accidents as they don't want themselves to involve in Police Procedures and most of the times these victims die on the spot due to delay in medical treatment. So, government should make such laws / policies by which people helping these victims will be rewarded and they don't have to involve in Police procedures. This will encourage people to help accident victims.
Dr.
Balak Ram Kashyap: Our roads mostly are incapable of
handling ever increasing volume of traffic. Therefore it
is essential that Govt. pays attention to safety of road
users on topmost priority basis to prevent loss of precious
human life. It is heartening that the Govt. seems to have
realized the importance of the matter although belatedly
following sad demise of State Education Minister Shri Laxman
Singh Gaur in the road accident. Certain measures have been
announced but how far they are successful remains to be
seen. On the face of it it seems to be a pretty good decision
and if implemented seriously the number of road accidents
can be brought down appreciably.
According to press reports the number of road accidents occurring in a particular locality shall be recorded in the Annual Appraisal Report of the Executive Engineer and Superintending Engineer concerned. After all the bad condition of the roads owing to poor maintenance and use of substandard construction material can be stated the largest single factor contributing to accidents on roads. In large cities like Bhopal,Indore and Gwalior there is considerable uinregulated traffic where construction of fly-overs can be helpful.Awareness programmes should be organized for inculcating road sense and safety consciousness among the road users.
Stray cattle should not be allowed to roam about roads as they are also road hazard.Persistently erring and negligent drivers should be penalized even with cancellation of driving license. All violation of traffic laws should attract exemplary punishment.Road safety symbols should be prominently displayed by the roadside. To ensure safety of the night journey sufficient lighting should be provided at strategic points on the road. Drivers of heavy vehicles should be subjected to periodical physical test especially vision and hearing. Last but not the least a monitoring system should be devised and put in place to ensure the efficacy of various measures adopted to prevent accidents on road.
Sushmita
Shrivastava: Yes, safety on roads should be the top
priority of the government. Each year a large number of
people die and the number of fatal accidents is increasing
every year. We do not follow traffic rules, but whenever
an accident takes place we are quick in lynching the driver
and/or setting the vehicle on fire. Due to this reason,
the driver of the killer vehicle has no option except to
try to flee from the spot and he never stops to provide
help to the injured. This is not in the interest of the
injured. No law provides for death penalty for accident.
But the mob kills the driver. The government is building
more roads and the number of two-wheelers and four-wheelers
is rising steadily. But the drivers have scant regard for
safety rules. Many of them drive recklessly and in inebriated
state. In such a scenario the roads have become death traps.
But neither the people nor the authorities or the governments
are worried. Government is building more and more roads.
These roads are nothing except death warrants for countless
innocent people.
Anil
Purohit: Indian road scenario is a hallucinatory Experience.
Accidents occurring on roads is a matter of great concern
for all of us. Almost everyone has been affected by such
accidents at one time or the other, because a relative or
friend is somehow connected to such accidents. Safer roads
can become a reality only if there is unanimity amongst
all road-users and they believe to stand in unison for the
noble cause. Government and the Public Sector's priority
should be on development and implementation of effective
road safety policies for the citizens. Work with other organizations
in providing road safety education, publicity and other
road safety programmes, accountability in meeting road safety
objectives and to ensure the effective use of resources.
The geometric design of the road should be audited from
road safety angle. Actively encourage safer practices and
products coordinating the road safety effort of all relevant
agencies and community groups within their particular administrative
area. There is a growing demand from activists and legal
experts for a more stringent law for driving under influence
of alcohol. Authorities should take stringent action against
those who flout road rules and put other road users to peril.
Besides Government, people in general should accept a greater
participatory role in road safety improvements and join
hands in this direction to make Indian roads safe for users.
Syed
Zia Ul Hasan Naqvi: According to available statistics
of road accidents, number of road accidents in our country
is alarming. When we compare and collate the figures of
accidents year-wise then we notice accidents on roads are
increasing tremendously every year. Road accidents in India
are three times more than the accidents in the developed
countries hence it is a matter of deep concern for all.
So beyond any doubt government should give top most priority
to safety on roads. Sorrows and sufferings of the appalling
accident victims and their families are ineffable in case
of death or serious injuries. For avoiding accidents it
is necessary on the part of public as well as for government
to take following strict measures. 1. For the purpose of
safety on roads first of all roads should be broad and well
maintained and there should not be encroachments on them.
2. On driving without licence heavy fine should be imposed.
3. Authorities should be more stringent in issuing licences.
4. Measures should be taken for reducing the number of vehicles
on roads 5. Use of helmets should be strictly implemented.
6. Heavy vehicles should not be allowed in city during rush
hours 7. Awareness about road safety should be made compulsory
in schools and colleges. 8. Speed controlling measures should
be implemented. 9. Apart from this public should also be
law abiding so that implementation of traffic rules could
be done effectively.
Mahendra Garwa:
We are living in a modern age that is flooded with new
technologies like construction of buildings, making vehicles
etc.
There has been a vast improvement in road technology. At the same time new and newer vehicles- two-wheelers, three-wheelers and four-wheelers are crowding the roads. Accidents on the roads are also increasing leading to deaths and injuries to a large number of people every day. Hence the government has to give topmost priority to improvement of safety of road users.
Subhash
C Agrawal: Recent horrible road-accident on late Saturday
night (early Sunday) involving drinking, racing in female
company causing spot-death for two college-students and
wounding two others at India Gate in New Delhi had made
Delhi Traffic Police to investigate root-cause for such
accidents and to devise ways to overcome rash driving by
youngsters just for fun and passion. Interesting features
emerged out of the investigation. Such accidents are mostly
on Saturday nights which are 'reserved' by affording youngsters
to enjoy late-night drink-dance parties. Secondly IT city
Bangalore with youngsters from outside the city camping
for education and training witnesses most such accidents.
These youngsters fond of enjoying late-night parties are
heavily drunk and their rash driving to impress their girl-companions
are self-cause for their fatal accidents. Therefore Delhi
Police has started thinking in right direction that in rare
cases of violation of safety-rules on roads, imprisonment
rather than fine will be more effective because these spoilt
youngsters have plenty of money at their disposal to pay
traffic-fines even though running in several thousand rupees.
Involving parents of rash-driving youngsters in violation
of road-safety rules is also good idea. But it should be
ensured that high level of corruption amongst traffic-police
may not harass innocent persons driving at late night hours.
Shilpa
Gupta: Yes, government should give topmost priority
to safety on road because in India, there is very critical
condition on roads. Nowadays, Indian roads are very rough.
Road accidents are on rise leading to deaths. We are losing
national properties and this problem is affecting our precious
productive hours also. But we can't blame only government;
we are also responsible for this. Government provides us
many facilities but we take these facilities very lightly
and we also misuse them.
Government framed rules but safety rules are not assuring safety. Sometimes we break these rules and most of the time govt servants like police also break these rules. If traffic police catch any person who breaks the rules they release them due to interference of politicians. Actually our system is corrupt, so it has become a big problem for us.
In my opinion, government must take a strict view on this problem.
RJ
Khurana: Yes, it should. Sooner the better. On a single
day (February 27) in one accident in Ashok Nagar district
of Madhya Pradesh, 4 persons were killed and 148 injured
in a head-on collision between two buses. There is alarming
increase in traffic accidents and the social costs. Over
1,00,000 persons are killed and over 6,00,000 injured in
roughly an upward of 5,00,000 major and minor road accidents
every year in India inflicting a social cost of 7% of the
GDP on the nation. The number is more than those killed
by AIDS and TB and in road accidents in entire Europe put
together. The projections are that the number of the dead
and injured is likely to go up @ 6 to 9% per annum if immediate
measures are not taken to enforce highest road safety standards
by building modern infrastructure, educating the people
and sensitizing the traffic police. Traffic reforms must
receive the topmost priority to save precious lives and
back-breaking social costs.
Govt. Should Give Topmost Priority To Safety On Road.
Malyachal
Mishra: Today road is an important way for transportation
& travelling. Whole India is connected by roads. Millions
of people travel by roads daily and many road accidents
are taking place daily. They may be due to lack of awareness
& safety aspects. Today everybody is in a hurry & due to
this they don't follow any rules & regulations of traffic.
In this matter our government is also not taking proper
measures as required by today's needs.
There is no system worth the name for safety on roads except the Traffic Police Department. But, for this huge public they are like "a drop in the ocean". From my point of view Government should give topmost priority to safety on roads. They should make some plans & they should also form an agency which will be totally dedicated for safety aspects on roads. The working persons should be sufficient. From this we will get double profit. We will be able to follow the rules of traffic & some youth will got jobs.
If our Government pays attention on these points than definitely accidents will become less.
SS
Chitwadgi: Obviously, Govt should give topmost priority
to safety on road transport. Road forms an important link
for every kind of business of civil society. Control of
transport is totally a business of Govt through department
of police. As population grows transport of men and material
also grows accordingly and the govt should manage to stand
by the situation by increasing the police force and their
skill. With growing of digital science modern methods are
improved to guard the safety on road. The force engaged
should adapt these modern tools, and the Govt should arrange
for training them to use these tools. We see killings due
to accidents on roads, they have increased which speaks
inefficiency of the controlling mechanism of men with their
tools, particularly Delhi like big cities are registering
higher number of deaths on roads. If not checked social
society is highly disturbed. While the above description
goes for action for Govt, there is reason for public also
to get alerted to avoid accidents through Govt, arranged
lessons to public on road safety. There are people on road,
on their feet or varieties of vehicular transport but more
often than not many lack in road sense. Fast moving vehicles
go wrong because of both mistakes of drivers of vehicles
and those on foot or other vehicles. Mistakes cause accidents.
It is difficult to trace the accident. Althrough the police
presuppose fast moving vehicle is at fault. The solution
certainly lies on provision of wider roads, with adjoining
roads for pedestrians. As far as possible, road-dividers
accommodate direction only one way and are recommended.
Ultimately it is for the Govt to gain confidence of the
public on road with appropriate safety measures that are
available at hand. The existing procedures in dealing with
road accidents are fraught with details which are cumbersome
and they need to be simplified so that the time consumed
by police and the public is reduced and early action is
recommended in this direction.
Vikas
Dwivedi: I think it is much necessary that government
should give priority on road because in present times roads
play very important role in the development of our country.
Nowadays many accidents take place due to the damage to
the roads after rains. If in rural areas, roads are well
maintained then it helps in the development of the villages
and farmers because the growth of our country depends on
agriculture. Maintenance of the roads can save fuel for
the country and as a result pollution levels will come down.
It would not be wrong to say that roads are the spine of our country so the development of roads are much beneficial for us and our country.
Satish
Kumar Singh: Government should give topmost priority
to safety on roads. India is a huge country in area wise
too. Perhaps due to this, every nook and corner is still
not connected by rail. Hence, importance of road is self
explicit. There is need to develop it. In present circumstances,
even remote areas are not linked by roads, whereas we know
that without road we cannot presume about development. In
fact, road is great means of growth, because it increases
trade as well as gives impetus to availability of all kind
of facilities in remote areas too. It is also way of control
over people of remote places. In British time, Britishers
did the same thing. They attached Indian parts by rail and
through that capability, they ruled in India for a long
time. Due to lack of roads in Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhatisgarh,
Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh etc, naxalities are running
parallel government therein. In fact, people of these states
are very poor. They have bread and butter problem. They
are not in a position to survive. So they have come in the
net of naxalites. Through road, present status may be changed.
Now I come to the point. Which kind of safety on road is
required? May it be facilitated by the government? I think,
here safety means excellent condition of roads and for this
there should be high-quality road in every part of India.
As we know construction of road is known as development
of infrastructure and in India enlargement of infrastructure
is a matter of government concern only. Private sector does
not want to invest in infrastructure sector. So far as safety
of road is concerned, I think the government should pay
full attention towards connecting every part of India with
good roads. Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana is a fine
scheme in this connection. But effective implementation
of this scheme is still needed. At present too, Indian roads
are devoid of safety aspects. Even national highways are
in a dilapidated condition. Condition of state highways
is also dismal. In this state of affairs, how can we can
talk about safety, because safety is directly associated
with condition of roads? Generally situation of road in
almost all states is dismal, but particularly in Bihar,
MP, UP and Orissa it is worse. Hence there is high time
for the government to pay full attention towards development
of status of roads, because improvements of road will facilitate
so many positive aspects like safety, development, happiness,
awareness, literacy, employment etc. In other words good
road is panacea of all the problems which are not persisting
nowadays. Though providing safety on road is not easy task,
yet it is not impossible. Hence we should also support the
government, because being a citizen of India, it is also
our duty to help the government for its noble causes.
Adhinath Jha:
There are many road accidents taking place due to unsafe
roads and violation of traffic rules. At the time of making
of colonies enough provisions are not being given for future
requirements and it is for us to see. At the same time the
vehicles on the roads are increasing by leaps and bounds.
There are many accidents as a result. Many senior leaders
like Vidyanivas mishra, Rajesh Pilot, Laxman Singh Gaud
los their lives in road mishaps. If the roads are safe then
these accidents can be avoided.
The graph of road accidents is telling the story of road safety. Only accidents are not the issue but other related issues do also count.
Krishna
Chander Mouli: Yes., but such a top most priority should
be on the ground, not on paper alone.Till now lack of will
power in Govt., the political executive-specially the ruling
party - to act and the gleefully surrendering infirm official
class before these political bosses and worse of all the
corrupt enforcing agencies have been the main reasons of
hinderences in assured road safety. This situation has encouraged
utter disregard to law among the society.Otherwise why a
road user in the western world never jumps the red signal
even in the absence of any cop on duty and why an Indian
invariably disobeys law and takes pride in breaking laws.
If Lt.Governor of Delhi spoke days ago on these lines what
was wrong in that ?
The first lesson of road safety is therefore civic sense among the road users and respect for the law..There has been no consistency in the various steps initiated for road safety..Rules are observed in breach due to lack of deterrence against the offenders Pedestrians do not use zebra crossings.Drivers are unaware of lane driving and they keep on zig-zagging from one lane to another exposing themselves to great danger as well as dragging the few drivers on road abiding the traffic rules to accidents.
Besides jumping red lights with impunity,blaring of horn,glaring full lights during night,overtaking from the left , overtaking and immediately turning to the right or left in front of the advancing vehicles are the most usual hazardous features on road. Over speeding,over loading and over riding without any agency regulating them is another routine feature.Ironically some policemen do not even know the traffic regulations and road safety measures.
There is another aspect to road safety.Good roads.Roads with pot holes as bigger as those of craters,bumps and humps,speed breakers without warnings and uneven roads are also equally responsible for road safety.In this scenario government should think in terms of according top priority to Road Safety so that both the economic and human losses can be minimized and safety assured. Those who come in the way should be dealt with sternly even if the person/group belongs to a power block and influential category.
Dr
Visal A Khan: Road safety is an integral part of sustainable
development strategy. The G8 countries (global road safety)
address to govt head authorities of the respective countries
to follow the role for global road safety in helping to
achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The World
Bank and other development banks are spending $4 billion
a year on roads in developing countries, but little attention
is paid to road safety. Govt should give special attention
and top priority to safety on roads to save lives. The biggest
contributing factors to the road toll are: 1) speed, 2)
drink-driving,3) failure to give way at intersections,4)
fatigue and 5) failure to wear safety belts and helmets.
Speed and/or drink-driving for instance, are implicated
in nearly half of all fatal crashes. Each year, over thousands
of crashes occur because someone fails to stop or give way
at an intersection and each year, many people are killed
due to not wearing safety belts. This campaign looks at
the symptoms of fatigue for drivers and the possible consequences
of not acknowledging the warning signs. Speed is the single
biggest factor in fatal road crashes each year. The road
safety campaign targets offenders, as well as the general
public. By targeting the general public, the campaign aims
to build community rejection of excessive speed by explaining
the physics of speed and illustrating that innocent people
are being killed by speedsters on our roads. High level
advertising campaign is to be adopted by the Govt to reduce
speeding, it also aims to get stronger community ownership
and rejection of speeding. The objectives of the new advertisements
are to destabilise the confidence of the speeding drivers,
whose experience makes him think he takes only slight risks
and makes only small mistakes. The target audience for this
new campaign is drivers who typically drive slow over the
limit. It's not just excessive speedsters that crash. People
driving just above the speed limit do crash often. Nearly
half of all speed-related crashes happen at or around the
speed limit. As part of its continuing focus on road safety
issues, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM)
organized Safety expos. The SIAM Safety Expo 2003 held in
February 1 to 3, at the Chettinad Vidyashram Chennai, was
attended by over 10,000 people, according to Mr David E.
Friedman, President, Ford India Ltd. The organizers attracted
nearly 3,000 school students to the exhibition to learn
road safety rules and regulations through visual aids, quiz
programmes and live demonstrations. Similar expo in future
programmes should be organized at different places. The
expo must include soft skill-training workshop for drivers
to bring about an attitudinal and behavioural change, a
panel discussion on road safety and a free eye check up
camp etc. Govt. must take topmost priority in such expos
and help other NGOs too, to come forward in organizing similar
programmes for the sake of road safety.
RK Kutty:
Indian automobile industry is flourishing day-by-day. Cyclists
and walkers on the roads are much less in comparison to
a decade or two ago. Whereas, size and condition of the
roads are more or less the same despite four-fold increase
in automobiles. Now, that the much published TATA's one
lakh small car Nano too would hit the roads very soon, one
wonders what would be the pressure on our roads. Will there
be any space left for two/three-wheelers and even the footpath
too would be leveled to give space to the additional inflow
of four-wheelers, what would be the fate of those who would
still depend on their feet to walk to do some work. In the
newspapers there was a report that about two thousand fully
grown up trees being cut down in UP to widen the roads.
Earlier, there was a hue and cry in Delhi where a similar
step was taken by the Delhi Government to cut old, grown
up trees to widen roads. Environmentalists raised the issue
at the highest level. But looking to the pressures on the
roads where on every alternate day there are reports about
merciless killing of walkers even on footpath by blue-line
buses. It is absolutely necessary that the governments -both
the states as well as the Centre must work out plans on
war footing to widen all the motor roads with minimum four
lanes. It is high time all our National Highways are developed
into the maximum eight lanes looking to the current pressures
vis-Ã -vis the anticipated pressures where the automobile
industry would take further quantum leap. The saddest irony
is that while China, the sleeping dragon, earlier conserved
fuel energy by making their population to walk and cycle
to work, India popularized the `pleasure trip culture' thereby
footing hefty crude oil import bills. This has not only
destabilized our economy vis-Ã -vis polluted our atmosphere
but also created untold miseries/mayhem on our roads in
the form of brutal killings of precious lives prematurely.
The report of more than 25,000 odd lives lost through road
accidents last year should be an eye opener of our planners
to give topmost priority on safety on Indian roads.
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