According to the Delhi Traffic Police data released recently, as many as 1,604 persons were killed and 5,831 persons were injured in road accidents in 2018 as compared to 2017 which witnessed 1,510 deaths and 6,332 injuries in road accidents, thus recording 94 more deaths in the year 2018.
Annually, about 1.47 lakh people get killed in road crashes in the country and India accounts for more than 11 per cent of the global road accident fatalities. India is also a signatory to the United Nation’s Decade of Action for Road Safety which aims to reduce road fatalities by 50% by the year 2020. Remarking on the increase in the number of deaths, Mr. K. K. Kapila, Chairman, International Road Federation (IRF) said that “We urge the central and the state government to fix killer accident prone black spots in Delhi as well as other parts of the country. These black spots, which are accident sites, where accidents occur again and again have been identified by the Delhi Traffic police as well as the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). Delhi alone has about 20 identified killer black spots”.
“The fixing of the flaws quickly in about accident prone 20 black spots as identified in the capital city include ISBT Kashmere Gate, Punjabi Bagh Chowk, Mukarba Chowk, AIIMS, Bilaspur Chowk (GTK), ISBT Anand Vihar, Mahipalpur Chowk, Dhaula Kuan, Rajokri Flyover, Shahadra Flyover, Nigambodh Ghat, Moti Bagh, Wazirabad Chowk, Peera Garhi Chowk, Shastri Park, Brar Square, Nangloi Chowk, Mukundpur Chowk, Burari Chowk and Ghazipur red light, will help reduce capital’s morbid record of losing about Four lives per day “ said Mr Kapila.
“We urge the government to make every possible effort to change the road safety culture while establishing clear road safety norms. Global agencies involved in road safety have blamed lack of policies and enforcement as the main reasons behind increasing road fatalities in the country.” said Mr Kapila.
“Several measures towards improving road safety, including the much awaited amendment in the Motor Vehicle Act (MVA), improvements in roads from engineering perspective, road safety audits in all stages of road construction – beginning right from the planning stage, besides identification and remedy of black spots which account for almost 90% of road fatalities in the country, will greatly help reduce fatal road accidents” added Mr Kapila.
“IRF has also recommended several road engineering measures, improvement of faulty signages and trained about 300 road engineers from various government agencies for road audits. Besides, Govt. also provide funds for road safety in the budgets, a considerable part of which remains unutilized ” Said Mr Kapila.
The other suggestions include use of Intelligent Transport Systems to manage traffic and related aspects, enforcement of traffic rules and provisions of Motor Vehicle Act 1988. The enforcement of these rules include wearing of helmet, providing ABS in two wheelers, use of reflective tapes by trucks and buses, mandatory fitment of side and rear under run protection devices in trucks and buses and strict action against over loading of vehicles.
