New Delhi

Concern over increasing rate of road deaths

NEW DELHI: Road safety experts and highway engineers attending the two-day meet on road safety and mobility organised by the Geneva-based International Road Federation have expressed disappointment at the increasing rate of fatal accidents in India as it accounts for 10 per cent of the total road deaths worldwide.

“India already accounts for about 10 per cent of the total 1.2 million fatal accidents in the world. Estimates of the Planning Commission and the World Bank have put social cost of accidents between 2 to 3 per cent of the GDP every year,” said IRF vice-chairman Mr. K. K. Kapila at the concluding session here over the weekend.

“Not only the aspect of social cost, in the majority of road accident cases the breadwinner of a family dies, leaving his family in harness. Road deaths and accidents are preventable. We need to change our culture on the road, imbibe road discipline and respect the rights of other road users. If every one of us and our children do take care of these small aspects, the road would be much safer for all of us” he added. “The IRF has set a target of reducing fatal road accidents in India by 50 per cent by 2010. It will involve vehicle manufacturers, road safety clubs and school children. The impressionable minds of school children will have a long lasting impact in inculcating and spreading road safety habits,”’ Mr. Kapila said.

Another expert Prof. P. K. Sikdar said apart from preventing fatal road accidents, we should also work on improving vehicle design and road construction. “Countries like Sweden and England have brought down their death toll due to road accidents ,” he added.

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