India’s roads more dangerous than Syria’s streets
It is a pity that the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways' report on road safety hasn't attracted much public attention because it really should have grabbed headlines, sparked hour-long debates on national television, and swarmed our social media feeds. Instead, it was filed away as yet another sarkari report — not even Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's candid comment, acknowledging the Government's failure to significantly improve road safety, got much traction. To understand why, factor this: Road accidents claimed the lives of 1,46,000 people in 2015 alone, according to the report. In comparison, in war-torn Syria, where gun-battles are raging across the country and where fighter jets are carpet bombing entire cities, 21,000 people died in 2015. Sure, we can argue that India is a larger, more populous country than Syria but then again, it is also not in the middle of a full-scale civil war. In other words, it will not be wrong to suggest that India's roads are more dangerous than the bombed out streets of Syria. Maybe now, the matter will get some attention. Besides, this paper has already advocated that road safety be viewed not merely as a law and order problem, where public safety is jeopardised when individuals don't follow the rules, but instead as a public health issue, like polio or tuberculosis, given that road accidents are now one of the leading causes of death in India.
A comprehensive approach to road safety must have a multi-pronged approach that brings together multiple stakeholders from a variety of sectors and agencies. law enforcement — ensuring that travelers wear seat belts and helmets, that drivers follow traffic rules etc — is, of course, the most basic requirement here. Next on the list is ensuring the safety of vehicles. Crash tests done by international organisations have repeatedly shown that several cars, including some of the most popular models, sold in the Indian market, fall way short of global safety standards (even if they do sometimes meet local obligations). The Government will have to step in here and raise the bar. If car-makers can provide airbags for their European clients, they should be able to do the same for their Indian clients. That said, car makers have also pointed out that while they are willing to add the necessary safety features, the public also has to be willing to pay extra. This brings us to the next point — public awareness. The Government can try to do its bit with new regulations etc, but unless the market demands safety, corporates will play truant. This is already happening with the new motor vehicles Bill, for example, that has been significantly watered down, under industry pressure. Other administrative reforms that need to be undertaken include overhauling the entire process of issuing driving licenses and upgrading road and highways infrastructure. The new Bill features these issues, and Parliament give it priority attention in the upcoming session.