India suffers from the highest number of deaths - around 1,05,000 in absolute terms annually- due to road accidents in the world owing to poor infrastructure and dangerous driving habits, the World Health Organisation said on Thursday. As "road traffic crashes take the lives of nearly 1.3 million every year, and injure 20-50 million more" in the world, India along with China are listed among countries with the highest number of deaths.
Poor road infrastructure, failure to comply with speed limits, growing drinking and driving habits, and refusal to use proper motorcycle helmets and use child car seats, are among the main factors contributing to deaths from road crashes, WHO said in its report on 'Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2010'.
With growing middle class which is encouraged to buy new and latest vehicles, the youth- people aged between 15-29 years - have become the main victims of injuries.
"Over 90 per cent of road traffic deaths and injuries occur in low-income and middle-income countries, which have only 48 per cent of the world's registered vehicles," the report noted.
More disturbingly, a large number of deaths from road accidents are borne by "vulnerable road users" such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
The road traffic crashes, which result in the grief and suffering, contribute to economic losses to victims, their families, and nations as a whole, to the tune of 1-3 per cent of their respective gross national product, the report noted.
"Road traffic crashes are a growing health and development concern affecting all nations," said Dr Margaret China, WHO's director general, suggesting that it is important to have an action plan for an intensified response.
The global plan sets out a detailed programme of action that would call for improving the safety of road and vehicles, enhancing emergency services and building up road safety management.
More importantly, the plan calls on nations to enforce laws for using helmets, seat-belts and child restraints.
It emphasises strict and stern action against the drinking driving and those violating speed limits.
Road accidents killed 17 per hour in 2011
Government sources said the latest figures from all the states and Union Territories, which will be published soon, show that at least 1.42 lakh people died in road accidents in 2011, an increase of over 7,000 from 2010.
Though some of the states have successfully either reduced fatalities or stabilized the trend, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab have recorded a spurt in fatalities.
In UP, the deaths increased by at least 30% (it was 15,175 in 2010), while in Punjab 3,613 people died in 2011 as compared to 3,400 in the previous year. "We are worried. The roads are getting better and people are driving at high speed, while there are deficiencies in traffic engineering. Until it becomes a mission for political leadership at all levels to reduce road deaths, we will not be able to save lives," said Kamaljeet Soi of Punjab State Road Safety Council.
The figures supplied by the worst performing states have shocked the road transport and highways ministry, which is primarily responsible and accountable for nationwide road safety.
Early this year some states had submitted provisional data that projected the likely fall of road deaths by 1% in 2011.
Incidentally, two of the deadliest spots in the country fall in UP. Kayampur More in Aligarh topped the list, having claimed 169 lives, while 100 people died at NH stretch close to Jaigurdev Ashram in Mathura last year.
Road safety expert Rohit Baluja urged the government not to look at the figures "only as statistics". "Every life we lose counts and high percentage of those killed are earning members in their families," he explained.
India is signatory to the Decade for Action declaration by the United Nations to reduce deaths by 50% by 2020.
Times View
India's status as the world leader in deaths due to road accidents is a matter of national shame. The fact is that a large proportion of these deaths can be prevented by simple measures. The most important of these is strict enforcement of traffic rules, which is conspicuous by its absence in our cities as well as on highways. Other measures like preventing overloading of vehicles and making sure that highways have a divider separating the two carriageways would also make a huge difference. Surely this is not asking for too much. Considering the number of people killed each year, not taking these simple steps amounts to gross negligence.
Causes of road accidents
The various causes of road accidents are:- Road Users - Excessive speed and rash driving, violation of traffic rules, failure to perceive traffic situation or sign or signal in adequate time, carelessness, fatigue, alcohol,sleep etc.
- Vehicle - Defects such as failure of brakes, steering system, tyre burst,lighting system .
- Road Condition - Skidding road surface, pot holes, ruts.
- Road design - Defective geometric design like inadequate sight distance, inadequate width of shoulders, improper curve design, improper traffic control devices and improper lighting,.
- Environmental factors -unfavourable weather conditions like mist, snow, smoke and heavy rainfall which restrict normal visibility and and makes driving unsafe.
- Other causes -improper location of advertisement boards, gate of level crossing not closed when required etc..
Accident investigation
The accident data collection involves extensive investigation which involves the following procedure:- Reporting: It involves basic data collection in form of two methods:
- Motorist accident report - It is filed by the involved motorist involved in all accidents fatal or injurious.
- Police accident report - It is filed by the attendant police officer for all accidents at which an officer is present. This generally includes fatal accidents or mostly accidents involving serious injury required emergency or hospital treatment or which have incurred heavy property damage.
- At Scene-Investigation: It involves obtaining information at scene such as measurement of skid marks, examination of damage of vehicles, photograph of final position of vehicles, examination of condition and functioning of traffic control devices and other road equipments.
- Technical Preparation: This data collection step is needed for organization and interpretation of the study made. In this step measurement of grades, sight distance, preparing drawing of after accident situation, determination of critical and design speed for curves is done.
- Professional Reconstruction: In this step effort is made to determine from whatever data is available how the accident occurs from the available data. This involves accident reconstruction which has been discussed under Section No.7 in details. It is professionally referred as determining “behavioral” or “mediate” causes ofaccident.
- Cause Analysis: It is the effort made to determine why the accident occurred from the data available and the analysis of accident reconstruction studies..
Safety measures related to engineering
The various measures of engineering that may be useful to prevent accidents are enumerated below- Factors relating to the road – elements of road that directly affect the driving of a vehicle are traffic signs, changes in direction of road, three legged intersection and various other things.
- Factors connected with traffic – Other vehicles, cycles, pedestrians.
- Factors related indirectly to the vehicle motion – Building and structures that strike the eye, vegetation, landscape, etc.
- Contrast in visibility of the road should be achieved by provision of elements that differ from its surrounding by colours, pattern such as shoulder strips, shoulder covered with grass, edge markings.
- Providing road side vegetation is an effective means.
- The visibility of crown of trees from a distant location is also very useful in visual guiding.
- The provision of guard rails of different contrasting colours also takes drivers attention and prevent from monotonous driving.
Safety measures related to enforcement
The various measures of enforcement that may be useful to prevent accidents at spots prone to accidents are enumerated below. These rules are revised from time to time to make them more comprehensive.Speed control
Checks on spot speed of all vehicles should be done at different locations and timings and legal actions on those who violate the speed limit should be takenTraining and supervision
The transport authorities should be strict while issuing licence to drivers of public service vehicles and taxis. Driving licence of the driver may be renewed after specified period, only after conducting some tests to check whether the driver is fitMedical check
The drivers should be tested for vision and reaction time at prescribed intervals of timeSafety measures related to education
The various measures of education that may be useful to prevent accidents are enumerated below.Education of road users
The passengers and pedestrians should be taught the rules of the road, correct manner of crossing etc. by introducing necessary instruction in the schools for the children and by the help of posters exhibiting the serious results due to carelessness of road users.
Safety drive
Imposing traffic safety week when the road users are properly directed by the help of traffic police as a means of training the public. Training courses and workshops should be organised for drivers in different parts of the country.
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