This refers to the editorial, “life is not cheap. No” (June 5). The tragic demise of Union Minister Gopinath Munde following a car accident in Delhi is yet another reminder that Indian roads are deadly.
A global report on road safety, released in March 2013, stated that in the five risk factors — over-speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol, the absence of helmets, non-use of seat-belts and child restraints — India rates poorly on all these parameters. Rash driving has become the norm in the country rather than the exception.
It's no wonder that approximately 1,50,000 people die on Indian roads every year. Drunk-driving is common on our highways, and despite well-defined speed limits on roads, accidents occur with alarming regularity. Better policing and strict enforcement of traffic laws are urgently needed. It is also essential that the due process of issuing licences is followed in letter and spirit, and that the undeserving do not a licence to drive.