As per recent study conducted by a road safety education body Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE) in National Capital in Delhi revealed that out of an estimated 436 million Road Traffic Violations (RTV) committed by motorized traffic every single day in the capital about 25 per cent were on account of faulty road engineering and environment .
“The Traffic police in Delhi and other parts of National Capital Region and other parts of the country is focusing and challaning on basis of administrative violations like not having Driving license, Pollution Control certificate and not carrying other related devices while focus should be on moving violations .What the traffic police is enforcing today is an easy approach rather than regulating traffic and checking moving traffic violations” said Dr Rohit Baluja, President Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE) while addressing a lecture on ‘Traffic Management and presenting Case Study of NCT Delhi’ organised by International Road Federation (IRF) a global road safety body working for better and safer roads worldwide.
“In the year 2017, the Supreme Court appointed committee on road safety directed police departments across India to link speeding, red light jumping, mobile phone usage, wrong side driving in the category of dangerous driving and enhance fines. Delhi Traffic police took the directions in right earnest resulting in collection of traffic fines reaching Rs 64.8 crore in the year 2017 and road accident fatalities reaching 1584. In the year 2021 Delhi Traffic police collected fines of about Rs 493 crore but fatal road accident deaths went up to 1230. The decrease in fatal road accidents due to lockdown during COVID pandemic. Thus, bursting the myth that higher fines will help reducing fatal road accidents. The other factors of road engineering should also be provided” said Dr Baluja.
“The definition of offences and their penalties in the amended MV Act on expected lines has opened flood gates to confusion, corruption and public harassment. Each driver or rider has become an ATM for the enforcement agencies. The amended section 184 redefines dangerous driving “dangerous Driving” and elaborates to include “A manner of driving which causes a sense of alarm or distress to the occupants of vehicle, other road uses and persons near roads “ It does not specify what caused distress on road. Similarly, most traffic signals in the capital and signages do not correspond to standard codes of practice. This will lead to most drivers being caught unaware of violation” added Dr Baluja.
“Today focus of improving road safety is directed towards implementation of legislation without realizing road and traffic engineering is a rightful requirement of driving , the police needs to be given basic training to understand elements of traffic violations, The drivers need to be aware of codes of practice of traffic control devices and driving regulations. enforcement in such conditions will become handicapped unless overall corrective measures are undertaken” urged Dr Baluja
“India accounts for more than 11 per cent of total global road accidents and is signatory to the UN declaration to reduce 50% road accidents by the year 2030 Union Ministry of road transport and highways has reduced the target to the year 2025 . International Road Federation (IRF) as part of its effort to reduce road accident deaths is focusing on E’s of road safety including Engineering, Vehicle Engineering , Education, enforcement and Emergency care “ said Mr K K Kapila, President Emeritus, International Road Federation (IRF) while speaking at the seminar.
“In India drivers take road signs for granted but at most of the places in Delhi it is hidden, bungled, missing or just plain wrong. Simple road engineering measures like provision of appropriate road markings and traffic signs, minor layout changes in the road junctions are proven measures which significantly reduces road accidents.” Said Mr Kapila
