GUWAHATI, Feb 10 - Road accidents are proving to be the biggest cause of deaths in India, with at least 1.50 lakh people dying due to accidents on Indian roads every year. A study by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways states that majority of the accidents take place due to faults committed by drivers, which only goes on to prove that there is a strong need for strict enforcement of traffic rules to reduce the number of accidents.
The situation in Assam is also turning alarming, as at least 700 people lose their lives in road accidents every year, and although a State Road Safety Council headed by the Transport Minister has been formed to study the issues relating to road accidents and to take adequate safety measures, the number of accidents are growing with every passing year.
As per records available with the police, among all the districts of the State, majority of the accidents take place in Guwahati, with 130 to 150 persons being killed in accidents in the city every year. This happens mostly because of the rush of vehicles, while the police also does not have adequate manpower to strictly enforce the laws.
A look at the number of accidents in other districts makes interesting reading, as it is found that the number of accidents in some districts is much higher and very low in some others. For example, the accident rates in districts likes Kamrup, Goalpara, Jorhat, Lakhimpur, Karimganj, Dhubri, Bongaigaon, Sonitpur, Chirang and Nalbari are much higher compared to those in the remaining districts.
Meanwhile, highly placed official sources told The Assam Tribune that the growing rate of accidents in the entire country is a matter of serious concern, and hence the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways carried out a nationwide survey to ascertain the causes of accidents. The study found that 78.7 per cent of the accidents take place because of faulty driving, which proved that there is an urgent need for strict enforcement of traffic rules in all the states.
Sources said that overspeeding and drunken driving are two major causes of accidents. But, unfortunately in Assam, the law-enforcing agencies are not equipped with adequate number of speed guns to check the speed of vehicles so that action can be taken against the drivers responsible for overspeeding.
On the other hand, not enough breath analyzers have been provided to the law-enforcing agencies, including police and Transport Department personnel, to check drunken driving. Though a few breath analyzers have been provided to the city traffic police, the number is not adequate, while such drives are hardly launched on the National Highways in the State.
The study also found that 2.5 per cent of the accidents take place due to fault of the pedestrians, 1.2 per cent because of fault of cyclists, 1.4 per cent because of road defects, 0.9 per cent due to weather conditions and 13.9 per cent due to other reasons.
The study found that enforcement of the laws is the most vital part in reducing the number of accidents.
Official sources said that though the State Road Safety Council holds meetings from time to time, some vital issues are yet to be dealt with and considering the gravity of the situation, an Accident Prevention Committee comprising experts from the related fields needs to be set up in Assam, as has been done by some other states. The causes of all accidents should be studied thoroughly and there should be a GIS-based study to identify the accident-prone areas so that the causes of accidents can be studied properly to take appropriate preventive measures.
Sources, however, admitted that all such efforts would go in vain if strict enforcement of laws is not ensured.
