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| My perception on National Road Safety Week | | | Jamwal Mahadeep Singh
The observing of 'Na
tional Road Safety Week' conceptualized mainly because of chaotic roads, the most dangerous place to drive on, claiming lacs of deaths every year. We have to come out of the thinking that life is a journey that must be traveled no matter how bad the roads are but to believe accidents bring tears, safety bring cheers. To make Indian roads safer and to initiate responsible driving among people, 'National Safety Council of India' along with the 'Ministry of Road Transport and Highways' came up with the idea of observing 'Road Safety Week.'
The most common causes of road accidents worked out are; Driver error is most often the result of "distracted driving" caused by the use of cell phones. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), 25% of all automobile crashes are related to cell phone use, whether by talking on the phone or texting. Some other main causes worked out are:
Speeding and reckless driving, drunk driving, running red lights or jumping over the stop signs, teenager driving. There is general lack of respect for traffic rules and it is a contributing factor for road accidents. The road accidents shudders us regarding number of deaths and many of the victims of road accidents that become sufferer of the life threatening problems such as mental trauma, loss of memory, loss of hand or legs and so many for the whole life. Such situations especially in India increase the importance and necessity of the road safety measures. The awareness on the occasion implies following categories of human and they are; Drivers on the seat, pedestrians using road surface, public in general, authorities issuing driving licenses, authorities certifying the fitness of vehicles for plying, traffic police a traffic regulatory wing, law and traffic rule enforcing agencies, government's department responsible for caring about the road conditions and of course politicians.
National Road Safety Week focus on the importance and need to follow traffic rules, including traffic lights, speed limits, pedestrian crossing rules, and wearing seat-belts while driving a car, amongst others.
Activities such as education programs for drivers, training workshops and modules aiming to increase road safety awareness among school children would also be a part of this road safety week.
But above all, the issuance of driving licenses by the concerned authorities in a most corrupt way and certifying the fitness of vehicles worthy for road transport are contributing a lot towards this deadly game claiming large quantity of human life so the authorities involved in this process are also required to be cautioned about their behavioral attitude in these fields at least during this safety week.
We come across many appeals and advertisements from concerned ministries of transport department and HoDs concerned with their smiling photographs in electronic as well as print media as a customary appearance and regional transport authorities, traffic cops and MVD officials become visible like seasonal frogs engaging themselves in lectures, managing rallies utilizing readymade stuff of school children and booking the defaulters. It also need efforts from different stakeholders such as the community, transport sector, insurance sector, health sector, police, legal sector, educational institutions, highway engineers, vehicle manufacturers, public agencies, NGOs and etc. Students are given a big opportunity to be participated in the road safety week programmes as to change something, youths of the country must understand first Keeping in mind the main causes for this agony, we are supposed to rely on following measures to make the 'National Road Safety Week' a success;
1. People in India's political sphere do not have the will to curb traffic accidents.
2. Drivers indulge in receiving or making cell phone calls when at driving seats. The public should be awakened to rebuke such defaulters in the moving vehicles.
3. Aware the public about the events which disrupt the flow and may cause traffic to degenerate into a disorganized mess include road construction, collisions, and debris in the roadway.
4. All road users must be guided by the objective of enhancing road safety and must pay heed to the legitimate directions and suggestions of traffic police personnel and observe traffic norms and regulations. Commuters are also explained about the methods and necessities of the road safety means they must understand the use of helmets or seat belts while driving on the road or anywhere.
5. The bad driving habits of Indian people required being curbed through driving schools and they should focus on youth to enhance the art and skill of efficient driving. The driving schools are merely outlets to issue learner's license a pre requisite to go for driving license.
6. The driving license issuing authorities have to be morally honest while issuing driving licenses. The online issuance of D/L is not beyond the shadow of doubt as driving tests are manually supervised.
7. The issuance of fitness certificates needs proper mechanism to declare a vehicle fit for road use and manufacturers should be involved in this process.
8. Free medical checkup camps and driving training workshops should be organized for the drivers to encourage them towards the road safety.
9. Speed is one of the main problems on roads and law enforcement has the power to reduce it. Obtrusive law enforcement can have two effects.
First, there is a preventive effect: passing drivers notice enforcement activities and most of them will slow down when seeing a police patrol. Second, there is a repressive effect for detected offenders; they either receive a warning or a notice. The police can choose to optimize one of these two effects.
10. Traffic police is one of the main traffic law enforcement services to traffic control and traffic direction are the main tasks of the traffic police therefore the traffic police should be specialized in traffic enforcement only rather than to checking of documents, a responsibility of RTAs and mobile magistrates.
11. Traffic control is one attempt to solve the problem of a human survival on the roads in our mechanical and electronically era. The basic purpose of the Police Traffic wing is to protect road users. This kind of protection demands from the Traffic Police, particular knowledge of different planning and assessing police road safety process, special education and training programs, special police tactics, traffic control devices.
12. A clear cut Strategy required establishing and well communicating to all ranks. It is based on selective enforcement which is defined as enforcement proportional to traffic accidents with respect to time, place, type of violations, violators.
13. The public at large is to be motivated to help injured persons in road accidents by taking them to nearby hospitals and by informing the police. One would not be asked to be a witness in the case or otherwise put to any inconvenience.
14. Although the driver of the motor vehicle responsible for a road accident is duty bound to take all reasonable steps to secure medical attention for the injured person by conveying him to the nearest medical doctor or hospital, but it is required to be make practical, unless it is not practicable to do so on account of mob fury or any other reason beyond his control.
15. The medical fraternity should be aware of his duties in a hospital to immediately attend to the injured person and render medical aid without waiting for procedural formalities. By adopting simple rules, people can curb the carnage and make the roads safer. 16. Road safety slogans are important to remind the people to follow traffic rules.
Concluding, 'Road Safety Week' is emerging as a major concern in the country for the past some years and the country is focusing on a week dedicated to the cause of awareness and taking safety measures as a week's observation on yearly basis. During the week end many rallies (almost everyone) are managed by the over enthusiastic private schools putting minor children on roads carrying placards. The administration too holds some program confined in the recreational halls with selected audience.
The traffic police become conspicuous on every crossing, congested areas thereby creating a panic among the common man. What a way of awaking the public about safety on road?
It is not out of proportion to pen down here that merely speaking and awakening public just in one week can help in maintaining road safety for rest of 358 days, when these days are fully devoted to money minting season by closing the eyes towards traffic violations in full swing throughout the year. Continuous efforts throughout the year are required to make our roads free of death traps, to educate our society and to pull the law violators. |
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