ROAD ACCIDENTS =LOSS OF LIVES

“We ought not to look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from the past errors and for the purpose of profiting by dear-brought experience” – George Washington

We will never learn any lessons from our past errors. It is evident in all most all activities, and ‘Road Accidents’ are no exception. If you take global statistics, 8% of deaths, due to road accidents occur in India only.
You will never close a newspaper without reading a ‘Road Accident’ and death of a few. It has become a routine news item. Nothing is being done to prevent these accidents. VIPs and VVIPs are also involved in these Road accidents. Our External Affairs minister Pranab Mukhejee, BJP President Rajnath Singh are also sufferers of road accidents. A couple of months back Saheb Singh Varma lost his life in a road accident. Five years back Rajesh Pilot, lost his life in a road accident. The past CM of Chattisgarh state Ajit Jogi, got a rebirth from a road accident. All these VIPs involved in road accidents, but nothing has been done to prevent them. There is no political will to do anything towards it. People, who ought to do something to prevent or lessen the incidence of accident, seems to be blind to the reality, or real picture in the country. Why our MLAs and MPs visit foreign countries? Is it for holidaying or………On the similar lines of Arjuna, Dronacharya Awards, these people should be awarded Dritharashtra Awards.
Under the leadership of Sri.S.Sunder, a report was submitted to the Central Government in Jan/Feb. I remember, that he suggested in the report ‘Road Accidents’ may be removed from the ‘Crime’ list, so that the victims of the accidents may get immediate medical attention, without going through all police formalities. There ends the matter. Nothing has come out of that recommendation.
Government says 84% accidents are due to errors of drivers, 5% are due to pedestrians, 3% are due to faulty/defective/not road worthy vehicles, 1.1% due to bad roads, and less than 1% due to bad weather or climate. The rest are due to other reasons like sudden appearance of animals, humans, felling of trees, failure of signaling system etc.,etc.,
Till date I never heard or read any news, that there was a discussion on a road accidents,in the state assemblies or in the parliament. Never was a discussion. Nobody bothers about the deaths, and the damage done to the property due to the accidents.
Now, let us analyze these accidents and find atleast some of the major causes of accidents.

Unauthorized drivers, drunken drivers and late night drivers are the main source of these accidents. This should be stopped forthwith. Police patrolling should be intensified.

Road worthiness of the vehicles is to be certified only after inspecting the vehicles. There should not be any relaxation in any form. All vehicles, whose life is over, are to be seized and condemned to scrap. Once a vehicle is found, whose life is over, it should be seized and made into scrap.

The upper half of the headlight is to be painted black – but it remained only in books. There is no strict implementation of this. It should be taken care of by the appropriate authority. The dividers of the road should be raised to a minimum of 3 feet, so that the headlights of the opposite vehicle didn’t disturb the driver. This is well observed in USA.
The accident prone areas in and outside the cities and towns and on the highways are to be identified and necessary corrections are to be undertaken. The hawkers, petty vendors and other unwanted occupants of the footpaths are to be cleared, without any consideration. Wearing helmets, seat belts, and other protective arrangements are to be followed strictly and any lapse should be fined on the spot (to the extent of seizure of the vehicle). The bumps or speed breakers are suitably painted with reflectors, so that the drivers will not miss them at night. The non-motorized vehicles are not to be allowed on to the highways and other busy roads inside the towns and cities. A separate path is to be provided for them.

Above all and besides all these, pedestrians are to be educated and should cooperate in observing the road rules.