As many as 12 people on an average are dying in road accidents in Odisha every day; and the figure is continuously on the rise. And out of every 100 accidents, deaths are occurring in 42 cases whereas the rate in the country is 29.
lack of proper emergency care is attributed to such large-scale fatalities in road accidents. The fatalities in the State increased by 5.71 per cent during January-September 2017 compared to the corresponding period of 2016 while in the country there is a reduction to an extent of 4.51 per cent.
Most of the major States have been able to reduce the fatalities in road mishaps.
Experts feel that emergency medical care plays a crucial role in saving the life of a road accident victim.
A Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety has directed the authorities to reduce fatalities by 10 per cent, but there is a continuous rise in road accidental deaths in Odisha. The committee has asked for taking steps to reduce the deaths in seven districts of the State where the numbers of accident deaths are on the rise.
Absence of trauma care centres on the side of highways is causing a distress situation for the victims, who are not able to be taken care of during the ‘Golden Hour’, admit officials.
With the alarming rise in accidents in seven districts, senior officials have asked the Collectors to look into the reasons for the fatalities and chalk out an action plan to reduce deaths.
These districts are Khordha, Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Jajpur, Sambalpur and Baleswar.
Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi and Development Commissioner R Balakrishnan are monitoring the situation and Commerce & Transport Secretary G Srinivas and Transport Commissioner Madhu Sudan Padhi are engaged in a scientific analysis of the accidents.
A web-based user-friendly e-Gov application -- Road Accident Management Information System (RAMIS) -- has been initiated for introduction; and there would be a provision for reporting of the accidents by general public, said sources.
Highway patrolling would be made intensive as it is very poor at present. Accordingly, the Home Department and police would chalk out a programme for highway patrolling at the earliest, said the sources.
While most of the districts have notified “No helmet, No Fuel”, practically the notification is not implemented, admitted officials. The District Magistrates and the Regional Transport Authorities would have to ensure implementation of the notification, said a senior official.
It has been decided that the Good Samaritan policy for protection of the road accident victims is to be implemented in letter and spirit so that people would voluntarily come forward to help those in distress.