Details About Road Accidents
Global Day of Remembering:
- Such statistics ought to serve as a wake-up call to all of us as the world observed the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on November 19 to give victims and their families a forum to remember, support, and act. To increase road safety and significantly lower the everyday human tragedies that underlie the dismal numbers, we require prompt, coordinated, and evidence-based initiatives.
- Since everyone uses the roads in some capacity, it will need deliberate investments in road safety measures, coordinated political will at the federal, state, and municipal levels, and a shift in the general public’s perception of the scope and urgency of the problem to be understood and addressed.
India’s traffic accidents:
- Road accidents are thought to cost India’s GDP between 5% and 7%. The fact that 1.3 million people die in traffic accidents each year highlights the global issue of road safety. Nevertheless, India accounts for nearly one in every four traffic fatalities worldwide. According to a government report issued last week, 2022 was India’s deadliest year for highway accidents.
Regions of concentration for increased safety
- Enforcing the wearing of seatbelts by both drivers and their passengers must be a priority. The risk of death for drivers and front seat passengers is reduced by up to 50% when they use seatbelts, and it is reduced by 25% for back seat passengers.
- Similar to this, both motorbike riders and their pillion passengers need to be required to wear helmets. Wearing a helmet properly can reduce the risk of fatal injuries by 42%. In fact, about 75% of road fatalities in India occur to vulnerable road users, such as cyclists, pedestrians, and two-wheeler riders. Furthermore, when a collision occurs, unbelted backseat passengers put not only themselves but also the people in the front seat at risk.
- According to a recent government report, speeding is to blame for 70% of road crash deaths in India. As such, speeding needs to be curbed and drunk driving cannot be tolerated.
- Road infrastructure needs to be improved; while government initiatives in recent years have sped up improvements, far too many roads remain unsafe.
- To ensure behavioural changes, large-scale public awareness initiatives featuring international celebrities, like the recent UN global campaign for road safety #MakeASafetyStatement, must be launched.
- This is not a novel call to action. The 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3.6) seek for halving the number of traffic crash-related deaths and injuries worldwide, while SDG 11.2 calls for universal access to better, more affordable public transport. The good news is that India is starting to move in the right way.
- Implementing the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 at the national level and improving data collecting from crashes are significant steps that will aid specialists in understanding the causes and locations of crashes and, ultimately, how to lower their frequency.
UN headgear:
- Major cities’ police departments, including the capital New Delhi, are implementing cutting-edge technologies like intelligent traffic management systems to better control traffic flows and reduce the risk of collisions.
- The Special Envoy has collaborated with helmet manufacturers to develop an affordable ventilated United Nations standard helmet, which can be purchased for less than $20, even in India, in order to promote access to safe helmets.
- The states in which you reside, the kind of emergency care you receive, and the aftercare you receive can all have a significant impact on your odds of surviving a car accident.
- Additionally, we must look more closely at successful international models and best practices and modify them to fit the unique requirements and conditions of India.
- Although road safety presents a complicated and multifaceted task, addressing it can have equally significant advantages. The MVA (Amendment) Act of 2019 must be fully implemented, and a comprehensive safe system strategy as outlined in the UN’s Second Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030 is required.
Way Forward:
- Not only would stopping the silent epidemic of traffic injuries save lives, but it will also boost the economy and raise everyone’s standard of living.
