Safety first, always

Aslew of announcements recently in Parliament by Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport and Highways bring the focus back on the very important subject of road safety in India. He put the matter in perspective by stating that India has among the highest road accidents in the world with total cases at five lakhs annually. These result in about 1.50 lakh deaths and about 3 lakh disabilities. The matter is therefore of extreme urgency and calls for all round measures. The Minister announced that now the provision of six airbags would be mandatory in all motor cars in India.
The focus on improving safety features of vehicles is indeed a welcome step. While there are initial reports of some vehicle manufacturers expressing concern over the cost impact, the step must be considered positive in the interests of road safety. At the same time, there is need to look at some other reasons for the poor safety record of Indian roads. Among them is the near total disregard for regulations by Indian road users. Two-wheeler rider without helmet is a common sight both in our cities and on highways. In most countries this is unthinkable. Wrong side driving has become commonplace; this has grave risks not only for the offender but other road users too. There are many other driver related violations that need to be punished. And then there are vehicle related violations. Non-functional headlamps, tail lamps, turn signal indicators and windshield wipers are common ones that have serious implications for road safety.
Agencies entrusted with operation/maintenance of highways and other roads also need to play their role in enhancing road safety. Apart from the condition of the roads itself, other things matter. Signboards and other road furniture are sometimes in bad condition with the messages lost or illegible. How often have we seen posters stuck on such signboards defeating the very purpose they were put up for and in the process endangering lives? Speed limits are sometimes confusing or impracticable.
Going beyond road safety, we must inculcate a culture of safety in all we do – in our homes, at the workplace, on the streets, on the playfield, everywhere. And such a culture has to be imbibed by all from a young age. Many schools include road safety classes – theory and practical – in their teaching efforts. Surely informed children can influence behaviour of their parents and other family members. As we have seen with the Swachh Bharat mission.
Our urban local bodies are doing their bit by creating traffic parks in our cities where children visit and get familiar with traffic regulations, signages, etc. These efforts could be intensified and extended to areas beyond road safety – areas like fire safety, electrical safety, food safety, and so on. They could collaborate with organizations such as the National Safety Council which works in all these areas. Concern for safety will ingrain in us a culture of compliance. This can then help build future generations of responsible, law-abiding, safety-conscious citizens.