Question

An article on the problem of increasing number of Road accidents

Answer 1

Road transport in lndia is very popular for various reasons, but the condition of lndian roads is very poor and deplorable. The rate at road-accidents and fatality in the country is very high. Pressure on roads has been on increase and the number of vehicles is increasing by leaps and bounds. 

Lack of road-sense has further complicated the matters. Driving licenses are given on illegal gratifications to the authorities and traffic rules and regulations are thrown to the winds. Overloading is one of the major factors of road- accidents and deaths. The condition of the vehicles is hardly found road-worthy. The unmanned railway level- crossings further add to the chaos and confusion. 

The multiplicity of authorities and utter lack of coordination among them is another great source of worry. Drug-abuse and addiction by drivers is another major cause of accidents. The ever increasing use of mobile phones has posed a new challenge to road-safety. lmmediate and effec’tive steps should be taken to check the ever increasing number of road-accidents and dedhs. Some very hard decisions in the matter is the need of the hour. Roads in lndia are a popular means of both passenger and goods movement. 

Travel by road provides a lot of flexibility, convenience, speed and reliability, particularly at short distances in cities and towns. Therefore, it is the most prefered medium of transport. But lndian roads in cities, towns and those connecting them, have been in a very poor condition. Their development and maintenance have not kept pace with the growth in vehicular population. Consequently, there are accidents, serious injuries and deaths allaround. Indian roads are red with human blood. 

The neglect of lndian roads is pathetic. ln the first Plan the outlay was 6.9 per cent of total expenditure which declined to 3 per cent by the Eighth Plan. The neglect and poor maintenance of lndian roads have made the road-travelvery hazardous. About 60,000 lives are lost every year in road accidents. This fatality rate is 25 times that of the U.S.A. The pressure on roads is increasing abnormally and nothing effective and urgent is being done by the concemed authorities. 

During the year 1951-1994 traffic growth in the country was estimated to be 8-10 per cent on an average. Country’s vehicle strength went up from 3 lakh in 1951 to 253 lakh in 1994. It would double to 540 lakh by the turn of the century. The number of vehicles in Delhi alone was 27.67 lakh in 1996. lt is more than the combined vehicle strength of three other metropolitan cities of Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. 

The road length in Delhi during this period increased only to 27,000 km from 10,000 km. The situation in other cities and towns is no better, in some cases still worse. The writing on the wall is in bold and clear letters. The lack of road sense by the drivers and other users of the road has further complicated the matters. lt is an open secret that people get driving licenses without knowing proper driving or the knowledge of the traffic rules. 

Lane discipline is missing; road-safety measures are thrown to the winds; drivers, particularly the youth zig-zag on the roads and the trafiic police remain a silent spectator. Red-lights are often jumped, particularly in the early and late hours of the day. Over speeding and violating the prescribed limits are also there in abundance. There is hardly any round-about discipline. The motorists often do not acknowledge that the vehicles on the right should be allowed to move first. 

The tendency to overtake is also responsible for many road accidents. Moreover, there are about 40 vehicles of different styles, both slow and fast moving which hamper the smooth flow of traffic. Overloading of passengers and goods is very common which is one of the main factors of accidents and deaths on the road. City buses are the worst offenders in this respect. They are always overcrowded and overloaded. ln towns and villages also people can be seen sitting on the roof-tops of the buses. 

A full family of wife and husband with their 2-3 children riding a two-wheeler is not an uncommon scene in towns and cities in utter disregard of the rules of road-safety. 

Consequently, there are heavy casualties and the authorities are sleeping over the problem oblivious of the urgency of the matter. Like the roads, the condition of the vehicles is also a source of great worry. They are very old, rickety and unworthy of use and still they are running on the lndian roads to the great danger of users and others. 

It is estimated that 50 per rent or more of the vehicles on the roads are not road-worthy. lndian tendency to flog the dead horse is quite obvious. Overloading and plying of substandard vehicles cause the rapid deterioration of roads besides accidents which may prove fatal. Then there are un-manned level-crossings across the railway lines. 

Hundreds of people in lndia die in such accidents. All these factors have made driving on lndian roads a nightmare.