In terms of section 185 of Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 alcohol exceeding 30 MG for 100 ml of blood detected in the test of breath analyzer qualifies for prosecution under the Act.
Read more...It is not mandatory in India to keep the front or back lights on during the day. In a country with abundant sunlight, the need for this measure has not been felt.
Read more...Section 129 of Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 makes it compulsory on the part of all two-wheeler riders and pillion riders to wear a protective head gear conforming to relevant Indian standards. The law however makes certain exceptions for persons who can not use helmets on account of the religious reason of having to wear turbans. The law also empowers State Governments to exempt certain categories of two-wheeler users by notification in their official gazettes. The judicial proclamations on the issue have consistently supported use of helmets. Recently the Central Government has also mandated sale of a helmet conforming to Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) along with the first-time sale of a two-wheeler. It has not been possible on the part of police authorities in the States to fully enforce the provision on wearing of helmets on account of lack of adequate personnel and stiff resistance by the community of two-wheeler riders. The Central Government has been launching awareness campaigns on the issue.
Read more...
सड़क चिन्ह यातायात नियंत्रण के लिए एक महत्वपूर्ण माध्यम है,उनका पालन करें.
थोड़ी सी जल्दी के लिए अपनी और दूसरों की जान जोखिम में न डालें।
हर छोटी या लम्बी यात्रा पर हेलमेट व सीट बेल्ट का प्रयोग करे .
The third good practice manual jointly prepared by GRSP, WHO, the FIA Foundation and the World Bank, on speed management, was launched by GRSP ahead of the United Nations General Assembly discussion on road safety later this month. Speed has been identified as a key risk factor in road traffic injuries, influencing both the risk of a road traffic crash as well as the severity of the injuries that result from crashes. For instance, pedestrians have a 90% chance of survival if hit by a car travelling at a speed of 30km/h or below, but less than a 50% chance of surviving an impact of 45km/h or above.
This speed management manual proposes simple, effective and low-cost solutions to excessive and inappropriate speed that can be implemented on a national or local level. It targets governments, non-governmental organizations and road safety practitioners, particularly those in low- and middle-income countries. The manual is based on a modular structure that provides evidence, examples, case studies and practical steps on how to manage vehicle speed.
The manual essentially provides guidance on the following:
• The background evidence on why speed is a risk factor and why it is important to start a speed management programme;
• The steps needed to undertake a problem assessment in a country;
• How to plan and implement a programme, including setting up a working group, developing a plan, examples of laws and enforcement, how to develop public education and publicity campaigns; and finally
• How to evaluate the programme.
The key principles and practical steps that this manual presents can easily be adapted and made relevant to different contexts around the world. The partners on this manual hope that this document will be used by policy-makers, decision-makers and other players to support the implementation of speed management programmes in different countries.
The second good practice manual, on drinking and driving, was launched by the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) ahead of the UN Road Safety Week.
Drinking and driving is one of the main causes of road crashes worldwide. In high-income countries about 20% of fatally injured drivers have excess alcohol in their blood, while in some low- and middle-income countries these figures may be up to 69%. Effective drinking and driving programmes have the potential to save thousands of lives, and was identified by the World report on road traffic injury prevention as a proven and effective measure to reduce death and injury on the road.
The good practice manual Drinking and driving, a road safety manual for decision-makers and practitioners, proposes simple, effective and low-cost solutions to prevent drinking and driving that can be implemented on a national or local level. It targets governments, non-governmental organizations and road safety practitioners, particularly those in low and middle-income countries.
The manual draws on experience from countries that have succeeded in reducing drinking and driving and includes guidance on the following:
• The background evidence to start a drinking and driving programme,
• The steps needed to undertake a problem assessment in a country,
• How to plan and implement a programme, including setting up a working group, developing a plan, examples of laws and enforcement, how to develop public education and publicity campaigns, and finally how to evaluate the programme.
In developing this manual the authors have drawn on case studies from around the world to illustrate ‘good practice’. The manual will be implemented in a number of countries over the next two years, starting in China through the Global Road Safety Partnership’s GRSI initiative, but extending to cover countries from Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.
Drinking and driving was produced in collaboration with the WHO, World Bank, and FIA Foundation as the second in a series of road safety good practice manuals being published as part of the UN Road Safety Collaboration.
GRSP Chief Executive David Silcock said "drinking and driving is one of the major causes of road crashes and often innocent victims, not the drunk driver, are killed or maimed. We will work closely with our partners around the world to apply this good practice and urge all committed to road safety to take a long hard look at the issue in their country".
Many countries around the world are facing the problem of a rapidly rising number of people injured or killed while riding two-wheelers – motorcycles and bicycles. A large proportion of the deaths and severe injuries result from injuries to the head. Helmets are effective in reducing the likelihood of head injuries, as well as their severity. Increasing helmet use in a country is thus an important way of improving road safety.
This manual provides practical advice to road safety practitioners on how to achieve a much higher proportion of users of two-wheeled vehicles wearing helmets. It follows on from the World report on road traffic injury prevention, which described evidence that setting and enforcing mandatory helmet use is an effective intervention for reducing injuries and fatalities among two-wheeler users. The manual is one of a series of documents produce by an informal consortium (WHO, the Global Road Safety Partnership, the World Bank, and the FIA Foundation for the Automobile and Society) that aims to provide guidance to countries on how to implement some of the recommendations identified within the World Report, and thus improve their overall road safety record.
The manual is for use in countries that want to improve the rates of helmets use among users of two-wheelers, locally or at national level. It is targeted at governments, nongovernmental organizations and road safety practitioners. As well as providing the necessary background evidence that will be useful to anyone starting a helmet programme, it provides technical advice on the steps needed to assess the helmet situation in a country, on how to design and implement a helmet use programme in response to such an assessment, and on the need to evaluate the programme so that the impact of what has been implemented can be assessed, and so that the programme can be improved accordingly.
Officially launched on 6 February 2009, the fourth in this series of good practice manuals, jointly prepared by the FIA Foundation for the Automobile and Society, the Global Road Safety Partnership, the World Bank and WHO, focuses on seat-belts and child restraints. The launch event was held in Costa Rica in the presence of the country’s Transport Minister, Karla Gonzalez; former Formula One driver, Michael Schumacher; and Make Roads Safe Campaign Ambassador, Michelle Yeoh.
Failure to use a seat-belt is a major risk factor for road traffic deaths and injuries among vehicle occupants. Passengers who are not wearing seat-belts at the time of a collision account for the majority of occupant road traffic fatalities.
The manual is a practical guide to implementing, enforcing and evaluating seat-belt and child restraint programmes, and consists of a series of 'how to' modules. It provides evidence of why the use of seat-belts and child restraints is important and takes the users through the steps needed to assess the situation in their own countries. It then explains the steps needed to design, plan and implement a seat-belt and child restraint programme. Finally, the manual guides users on how to monitor and evaluate such programmes so that the results can be fed back into programme design. For each of these activities, the document outlines in a practical way the various steps that need to be taken.
President Medvedev,honourable ministers,distinguished guests,my fellow youth delegates,
Statistics show that if I die next week,among all possible causes of death,a traffic crash is the most likely.As a native of the Netherlands-one of the safest countries in the world-I am still more likely to die from a road crash than from any other cause.My peers-in particular young men like my self-from many other countries of the world face an even greater risk of dying on the road.
Globally,road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for young people.Everyday more than 1000 young lives are ended and thousands more young people are injured on the world's roads.Unfortunately,many oung people are also implicated in the causes of these tragedies,particularly as drivers.In most regions of the world these numbers will continue to rise,if urgent action is not taken now.
This is why we young people have mobilized and taken the decision to be part of the solution.Yesterday we met with enthusiastic and committed youth leaders from all regions of the world.I am honoured to speak on their behalf of so many young people.
In 2007 the First World Youth Assembly for Road safety was organized by the World Health Organisation and the UN Economic Commission for Europe in Geneva.More than 400 young people from over 100 countries addressed road safety.After the Assembly they returned home to meet with ministers in their countries,flag the issue in national media and launch safety campaigns.
Youth Leaders Commit to a Decade of Action for Road Safety
The leaders of today and tomorrow working together to increase road safety,save young lives,and prepare for safer generation.
Your excellencies,leaders of the world today,decision and policy makers,as you discuss the causes and implications of the road safety problem and adopt a Decade of Action we urge you to keep in mind the victims of road crashes,especially all the young people we have lost too soon;young people who were breadwinners,protecting their families from poverty;young people who could have made a difference in your countries and in our world.
On the 8th of November 2009,the day before the First Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety,we,youth leaders from many countries,participated in a Youth Meeting to raise awareness of the critical position of youth in traffic and to discuss how young people can work together with different stakeholders to control the impact of this world wide epidemic,especially in the context of the declared Decade of Action for Road Safety.
Young people under 25 years represent almost 40% of the victims of road traffic injuries.Annually,we lose around 400,000 young lives and damage millions more.This means that every month,we are losing more than 30,000 lives and every day,a day just like this one,more than 1,000 young lives are coming to end.We are certain that you share not only our concern,but are keen to change this situation.We are confident that you, like us,refuse to pay this high a price for transportation,transportation that was initially mean to better our lives.
We,young people,commit ourselves to play a significant role in the Decade of Action.Youth initiatives have already spurred in tens of countries and we will make sure more will be born.Since the World Youth Assembly for Road Safety in 2007,a global youth network has been established and we will work to expand it and strengthen it.Finally,what was once only a dream of zealous young people is now a certain reality.YOURS-Youth for Road Safety-is the first global youth-led NGO for road safety and it will start its activities after the First Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety.
We therefore urge you to:
1.Talk about youth and Road safety issues,learn about the situation of young people on the roads of your country and bring their issues to the forefront.
2.Design road safety policies and programs that address youth congress and engage young people in their planning and implementation.
3.Invest in young people in your country,build youth capacities,and support local youth road safety initiatives.
4.Support the mission of YOURS by connnecting us to local road safety stakeholders and youth groups,sharing your knowledge and experience,providing technical expertise,and/or providing financial resources.
"The deepest definition of youth is life as yet untouched by tragedy"
In Bangladesh,where road safety education is limited,one organization,the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed,has been begun sending current and former patients who were paralyzed in road accidents to visit schools and discuss their tragedy.The centre has also produced road safety advice leaflets,which it distributes to schools.NGO promotion of road safety is the objective of a recent World Bank initiative in Bangladesh.
Fiji has recently introduced traffic safety into curriculum.A teachers' guide is being developed and the National Road Safety Council in association with the Department of Education is introducing a number of initiatives,including visiting drama groups to present safety plays for school children and development of a road safety character called "Road Ranger"to provide safety advice.
Several road safety education booklets have been produced recently in India.The previously mentioned Loss Prevention Association's Publication and Dealing with Traffic-A guide for Young People were produced from the proceeds of an art exhibition held during The International Conference on Traffic Safety in New Delhi in 1991.
In kazakstan,the traffic police are active in the organization of road safety lessons by teachers in the schools.Parents are also involved with the parents of entry classes being tested themselves on their road safety knowledge.Parents are requested to help their children identify and map out a safe route to school.
A road safety education project in Nepal funded by the Overseas Development Administration(ODA)of the United Kingdom(UK)has produced local safety education materials,including readers,workbooks,posters,and teachers guides.
These materials were produced by ateam of writes from the Primary Education Curriculum Text Book Design Unit after undergoing a week's orientation,which included field visits to rehabilitated roads,discussions with traffic police and pediatricians,and a brief review of road safety materials designed for schools in the UK.
Puppet shows were used to introduce the topic of road safety education into primary schools as well as women's groups and road side communities.
The experiences of accident victims are used in many countries to emphasis the personal consequences of road accidents.In Denmark,a team of people crippled in road accidents visit schools as part of an RSE program.In the United States(US),Mother Against Drunk Drivers often send representatives to speak to schools,especially,the age groups where students are starting to drive.
All speakers must be properly trained and can serve an effective supplementary role.
The potential benefits of RSE for children include the following:
1)increased awareness and knowledge of traffic enviornment;
2)appropriate survival skills necessary for the safe use of the road enviornment;
3)understanding of the behavior and attitudes taht have an influence on road safety ;
3)understanding of the behavior and attitudes that have an influence on road safety;
4)knowledge and understanding of how humans,vehicles,and systems interact with work;
5)decision making skills taht will enable them to make choices and to take responsibility for their own safety and that of others;
6)esteem and care for other people;
7)knowledge and understanding of the causes and consequences of road accidents;and
8)necessary knowledge,understanding,and skills to travel safely in or on a vehicle,while showing consideration for others.
Research shows that human error plays a large part in road accidents.It is a contributory factor in about 95 percent of accidents.By teaching the basics of road safety to children,they are prepared for the future and developing positive,safe attitudes tha will have benefit in years to come as thses children become teenagers and then adults.Inculcation of safety skills in children can provide lifelong benefits to society.In countries where the number of motorized vehicle is still increasing,the number of accidents is likely to rise unless steps are taken to educate road users at an early age.
Attitudes developed in the earliest years largely define how the individual behaves on the road in later years.Attitudes are difficult to change once they have been formed.It is easier to teach good habits at an early age than to break bad habits later.RSE has long-term benefits for the community in terms of road users behavior as it helps to develop positive attitudes and values.RSE should commence at an early age-at kindergarten,or even earlier through publicity initiatives aimed at parents.
Road safety education is necessary to provide the basis for improving road user behavior overtime.Because it involves the development of safe,positive attitudes,it will always be a long term investment.This is especially because it is tryin to counteract attitudes and behavior learned from and continually reinforced by parents and others in close contact with the children who tend to pass on unsafe behavior.
Many of a child's attitudes are learned in the first five years of life from their parents and carers.Once developed,attitudes can be difficult to change.
The development of an effective road safety education program in a developing country will most probably involve the country proceeding through a number of stages.The major steps are typically as follows:
1)review of current practices and responsibilities for RSE.RSE provided by schools,police,or service groups should be assessed in light of accident data and recent trends to identify priority areas and opportunities for improvement;
2)short -term and immediate improvements to the current system identified and introduced.To enable RSE to continue in more effective form while more substantial programs are set up,short-term improvements to the existing system should be undertaken.For example,if police team visit school to givetalks on road safety they can increase effectiveness by basic training,content review,and production of worksheets that can be left at the school outings with practical road safety lessons incorporated:
3)introduce RSE pilot project.Areas where road accidents are a serious problem should be targeted first.Local expertise should be developed.Villages near rehabilitated roads are an ideal candidate as the accident risk is increasing.Aid-funded projects are beginning to fund local RSE programs in order to prepare road side communities for expected increases in vehicle speeds and traffic volumes.Local reference material should be produced and may require preliminary road safety awareness seminars offered by an RSE specialist;
4)develop RSE school curriculum contentTo ensure relevant skills are taught to each group in a structured way,RSE policy and plans should be drawn up to improve provision in a sensible and organized manner and to identify priority areas in the country.Clearly defined responsibility for RSE and goood coordination between providers is necessary;
5)produce basic classroom materials and teacher's guides.It is important to ensure relevance of materials to the local situation and to accident problems identified.Teachers' guides and materials should be pilot tested before final production.When a teachers' guide is available,ideally all current and new teachers should have their own copy;
6)improve teacher training.Development and inclusion of road safety in initial teacher training through colleges and continuing professional development.This should include the abilities of different aged children,implications for their behavior on the roads,how to teach safety effectively,how road safety issues can be incorporated into current current school topics,and an introduction to available teaching materials;
7)introduce community education initiativesTo ensure road safety messages reach children who are unable to attend school on a regular basis and to educate parents and older generations,communiti education programs should include RSE.(Once schools are all teaching road safety,RSE can be expanded to involve NGOs for supplemental support).
(Source---asian development bank Road safety guidelines for the Asian and Pacific Region)
Lack of awareness by policymakers of the need for RSE can be an impediment in improving this sector.It is often the case that there is ad hoc road safety education already taking place.A national road safety council(NRSC),or similar body has a vital role to play in coordinating road safety nationally,to increase efficiency and prevent duplication of effort.This is especially important when there are limited resources available in this sector.
Many government and nongovernment organizations(NGO)can play a role in RSE.Obviously,the ministry of education is an important player,but also ministries of health,police,etc.,can play a part.Highlighting of accident problems,and even a network national accident database,and even a national accient database,can help to direct activity in all organizations towards the same target.
For the development of road safety within a country,it is essential that information,ideas,and examples of good practice are disseminated among professionals working in the field.At the very least,if there is no NRSC in place,this could be done within the appropriate ministry.Information could be shared by:
1) regular meetings or seminars;
2) a newsletter;
3) membership of overseas road safety organization to keep abreast of current international advances;and
4) training-external and in-house.
In some countries,the private sector(e.g.,banks,insurance companies,manufactures,and distributors)are willing to invest in road safety as part of their corporate responsibility and/or marketing and public relations,strategies.The association of insurance companies in India has funded development of road safety education materials.Businesses may be willing to finance publication costs in return for sponsorship credit or company logos printed on the publications.
Although it is generally recommended that there should be an increase in road safety tution through schools,police teams already in existence in many countries do have a role in supplementing this,and supporting topic work.However,one problem that the officers face is that they are unlikely to stay in one section of the police for a long period.
Valuable resources are lost by training officers for this specific role and then losing their expertise.Consideration should perhaps be given to road safety being a career position within the police.
(Source---asian development bank Road safety guidelines for the Asian and Pacific Region)
Once formal education practices are established,it is necessary to turn attention towards nonformal education methods to bring road safety education to children who do not regularly attend school,especially in high risk areas.
There are various options available.One community-based program that it may be possible to use is Child -to -child,which has been developed and used in many counties around the world.The basis of the program is that children attending school are taught about various health and social problems,and how to deal with them.This includes such issues as water,maleria,AIDS,and an element of road safety.The children are encouraged to disseminate the information to younger children and their parents,and to take practical action in their communities to improve their own chances of survival.Many of the materials are available in different languages.
Other community groups that can help in getting the road safety message across include the Scouts and Guides and women's group (e.g, literacy or health programs)to teach parents how to teach their children to be safe.
Community education should also be used to emphasize lifelong learning and to build links between home,community,and school.
Research from other countries has shown that it is important taht effecive road safety education does not rely simply on talks by visiting speakers at irregular intervals.Talks can supplement ongoing,curricular-based class room work,but are arguably more effective if supported by teaching resources.Some countries have found it beneficial to establish specialist road safety officers to assist and support teachers-by providing ideas,resources,and teaching materials.Materials for use in the classroom can include,but are not lmited,to the following:
1) worksheets;
2) posters;
3) teaching pack;
4) slides;
5) books and games; and
6) videos.
The most basic of these to produce are the worksheets,which are cheap and therefore easy to reproduce.These should concentrate on vocabulary development for young children and then move onto crossing skills and more complex issues as the children"s ages increase.
Inittially,resource can be adapted from those of other countries,an approach that minimizes development costs and time implications,but eventually local resources-teaching packs,worksheets,videos,and posters-should be produced.There should always be the option for adapting resources for local needs,as materials that are appropriate in one area of a country may not be as relevant else where and vice versa.It is also useful to have good quality resources that can be used immediately while a comprehensive curriculum is developed.Approaches used in other teaching areas can be used for road safety.For example,if puppet shows are popular among children,they can be used as an effective carrier for road safety messages.In some countris,including Malaysia,computer-based learning is popular with secondry students.
.(Source---asian development bank Road safety guidelines for the Asian and Pacific Region)
Teacher training should be of existing teachers,through a series of local seminars,and of new teachers entering the profession,through the teacher training colleges.To train all teachers in basic road safety teaching throughout a country is alarge commitment.It is unlikely to be achievable unless a dedicated person is apponted to this task,full time,for at least two years.Their role should be primarily to train trainers to run road safetyseminaars,for head teachers initially,but then covering all class teachers.They could also be involved in resource development to gradually build up the road safety materials available in a country.
In a longer term,it will be necessary to include a road safety element in initial teacher training courses to ensure that teachers coming into the profession are fully equipped to teach road safety to their students.
Once there is adequate provision in the curriculum,it is necessary to give teachers the correct information to be able to teach road safety effectively.By producing ateachers'guide,and distributing it to schools,the ability of teachers to teach road safety will be increased substantially.In countries where the majority of primary school age children do attend school,it is appropriate to concentrate initially on increasing and impoving the road safety education through the schools,before considering options for non formal education.
Production and dissemination of a full teachers"guide will facilitate the process of encouraging road safety teaching in schools and will give teachers a permanent remnder and source of reference in the classroom.The guide should enable teachers to teach the concepts included in the core curriculum and ideally should be produced in a large enough quantity for every primary school teacher to have a personal copy.
(Source---asian development bank Road safety guidelines for the Asian and Pacific Region)
Road Safety is too important and complex to be dealt with by simple messages given a few times a year .Experience from various countries has shown repeatedly one-off talks by visiting speakers(eg.,police or other well meaning groups)are not particularly effective unless they are part of ongoing work in the school through a structured program of RSE.
It is essential for long-term prospects of road safety education in schoolsthat there is adequate provision in the national curriculum.This is the building block on which further traffic education is based.
Without this,there will be only ad hoc activity with little control of content.By specifying what should be taught to each age group ,some control over content and quality will be achieved.The curriculum content must of course be well-defined,based on sound educational principles and should reflect local needs and accident problems.
Road safety is an area of work that fits naturally into many topics and centres of interest already going on in schools.It can provide a vehicle for basic skills of literacy and numeracy as well as being a topic in its own right,for example,within life skills,social studies,or health education.
Where possible,specific road safety lessons can be included in the school timetable,but it should also be incorporated into other subjects throughout the year.
In addition to being appropriate for the age group,road safety lesson content should also be relevant to local conditions,include practical road side training,and be reinforced on a regular basis.There is often atendency to over emphasize the teaching of road signs and traffic lights equates to road safety.
There should be more emphasis on teaching survival skills in progressive manner taht is appropriate to each age group.Rather than rigid rules that may not be applicable in a new situation they come across,children need to be taught concepts for survival.For example,teaching children that must cross the road at traffic lights may cause confusion if the lights are not working properly ,or if there are none in the locality.It is preferable to teach rules and principle for crossing the road that can be applied equally to traffic light controlled junctions,marked pedestrian crossings,rural roads,or other situations.
Like other measures aimed at increasing road safety in our country,actual problems should be identified and specific age groups targeted,based on accident data.For example,if there is an accident problem involving 10-12 yers ols crossing roads,this should be highlighted in the curriculum.
It has been shown that it may be more effective to teach children the skills needed to cross a specific road by practicle training;i.e.,to concentrate on behavior.
As they grow,older children will be able to generalize specifc situations and actions to other sitations.There is evidence that practical training is the most effective means of improving young children's skills and judgements and therefore,they will learn about road safety best by being exposed to real traffic situations in a controlled,safe manner.However,classroom-based RSE can help,for the following reasons:
1)without effective classroom work,children may not give sufficient attention or priority to the dangers of road use:and
2)without effective classroom work,children may not learn the vocabulary of the road,may not have concepts such as car stopping distances explained to them,and may not understand exactly how they are in danger or putting others in danger.
However,classroom work alone will not improve critical skills such as road crossing.Supervised practise in the traffic situation is much more effective and should be carried out as close to the age as psssible when children in the community start using the roads on their own.
Many countries have trafic parks but rarely do the conditions inside the parks refelct the conditions on real roads that children have to cross in that country.
There is a little point in teaching children in the park on roads with well maintained foootpaths and a well-marked,well-signposted road network if these do not exist in their local environment.It is more effective to teach children on real,local roads under proper adult supervision.Groups should be small,with a high ratio of adults to children to ensure safety.Classroom and practical lessons need to be given on a regular basis to reinforce safe road use behavior in children.Road safety eduation should be incorporated into the national curriculum with lessons
conducted on regular basis.
(Source---asian development bank Road safety guidelines for the Asian and Pacific Region)
Children in many motorized countries are more likely to die or be injured as a result of a road accident,than through any other cause.In developing countries,20 percent of traffic deaths are people under the age of 15 and threat of road accidents will increase with motorization.Several factors contribute to this risk to children in developing countries:
1)both the speed and volume of motor vehicle traffic will increase,especially on rehabilitated roads;
2)roadside friction will continue as poor land use planning,operational control,and limited road space lead to conflicting uses of road and roadsides;
3)road improvements tend to focus on motor vehicle requirements and not pedestrian needs;
4)traffic police can offer only limited help as they are poorly equipped to control motor vehicle traffic and not properly trained to consider pedestrian needs;and
5)most parents are unable to provide road safety training as they themselves never received any training and even if they did,traffic conditions have changed dramatically since their childhood.
RSE is needed to provide the necessary structure for the acquisition of safety knowledge and skills.These include decision making skills,and the identification and assessment of risk and strategies to reduce these risks.RSE attempts to prepare children for different tasks at each stage of their increasingly independent use of the road network and,later,as adults.(Source---asian development bank Road safety guidelines for the Asian and Pacific Region)
The State government seems to be putting too much stress on awareness campaigns, particularly slogans. But international experts feel that such isolated campaigns on road safety have negligible impact on the driving behaviour.
Studies show that the drivers are generally aware that bad driving behaviour like overspeeding is responsible for road accidents, but continue to do so until punitive action is taken. For example, a study by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) found that 99 per cent of the drivers who drink and drive agree that it (drinking and driving) is dangerous and 97 per cent were aware that it is prohibited under laws. This means that the government is spending most of its efforts and money to teach the drivers something they already know.
According to Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP), road safety awareness campaigns in India are ineffective because they are not built on a scientific basis. Unless the campaigns serve as a prelude to well-coordinated punitive actions for bad driving behaviour, the slogans won’t be worth the papers they are written on. The fact that road accidents have increased despite repeated awareness campaigns, should make the government re-examine its strategies.
Drunken driving
With alcohol consumption catching up as part of popular culture, drunken driving is the single largest reason for road accidents. According to a WHO study, drunken driving is the cause for 44-67 per cent of fatal accidents. The State government’s data says 94-98 per cent of the road accidents are due to driver’s fault, for which drunken driving is a major contributor.
While experience of several countries shows that punitive action alone can deter drunken driving, the number of persons booked by the police in the State on this count is quite low. The Criminal Investigation Department review (2007) says: “Action has been initiated against only 6,557 persons for drunk and driving. Very easily 5 to 6 cases can be booked in each district. That means
booking of 2,000 cases per district is not difficult. With 36 units around 72,000 should be the target against drink driving.”
The situation has not changed much since the number of driving licences cancelled or suspended last year is just around 6,000.
“It is an open secret that every day, hundreds of thousands of men all over the State, park their vehicles in front of liquor bars for indulging in drinking. All of them drive away in these vehicles after drinking in the bars, but the police are merely looking from the sidelines,” says activist A Narayanan.
For some mysterious reason, the police believe that those coming to TASMAC shops in vehicles just buy liquor and go, he says, referring to an reply he received for an RTI application.
Road designing
The government has always believed that building better roads would bring down road accidents. But police records say that around 65-70 per cent of road accidents takes place on national and State highways, which are comparatively ‘better roads’.
Apparently, better roads do not automatically translate into safer roads. For example, the East Coast Road (ECR), which is well maintained, also sees one of largest number of accidents in the city.
Highlighting that newly improved roads need not necessarily be safe, R P Indoria, secretary general, Indian Road Congress, says poor designing of entry and exit points, medians, pedestrian pathways and crossing cause accidents on highways.
Agreeing that road accidents are increasing and urgent measures are required to address it, Transport Commissioner S Machendranathan says motorists have the tendency of overspeeding on better roads, which result in accidents. His department has suggested the installation of ‘speed governors’ to limit the speed of heavy vehicles. It was also in talks with the lorry owners’ associations to avoid long hours at the wheel for drivers.
Machendranathan stresses that roads should be better designed to make it safe. “Even the newly built OMR corridor has defects at 36 points, which can lead to accidents.”
Cine artists do their bit for road safety
Actors S Ve Sheker and Vaiyapuri distributed pamphlets containing messages on road safety to the general public and Metropolitan Transport Corporation drivers at Saidapet bus terminus on Tuesday.
According to K V Karthalingan, RTO (West), the programme was organised as part of the weeklong 21st annual road safety week celebrations conducted till January 7th. The pamphlets emphasise that drivers should not use cell phones while driving, wearing seat belts in case of a four-wheeler and using helmets both by riders and pillion riders.
The office of the Regional Transport Officer, Chennai (West), released the statistics on road accidents in Tamil Nadu during the last two years.
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Road ministry mulls a fee of Rs 15 for such a cover.
The road transport ministry is planning to charge up to Rs 15 on every premium paid for insuring vehicles to fund a scheme to provide cashless hospital facility to victims of accidents on national highways.
“The ministry has suggested charging of Rs 15 as a premium for the vehicle insurance policy,” said a source in the ministry.
There are around 10 million registered vehicles in the country and the total insurance premium collected in 2008-09 was Rs 30,601 crore. The administrative heads of the districts would administer the fund, according to the proposal.
The government is working to provide cashless medical facility under the scheme as accident victims usually have to follow long procedures to get claims from insurance companies.
The government has constituted a committee to find ways to fund the scheme. The committee has members from four public sector insurance companies (National Insurance Companies, New India Assurance, Oriental Insurance and United India Insurance, the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority, the General Insurers (Public) Sector Association and Reliance General Insurance. The committee will submit its report by mid-January.
According to a World Health Organization report of a survey on road safety in 178 countries, constituting 98 per cent of world’s population, India leads in the number of deaths due to road accidents. India reported 105,000 traffic deaths in a year, compared with over 96,000 in China. Also, in India, an estimated two million people have disabilities
resulting from a road accident.
Over 1.2 million people die each year on world’s roads and 20-50 million suffer non-fatal injuries. In most regions of the world, this is increasing. Road traffic injuries are one of the top three causes of death of people between 5 years and 44 years.
Predictions are that by 2030, road traffic injuries will become the fifth leading cause of death worldwide.
Also, a lot of questions has been raised over the safety on the roads in India. Union Roads and Transport Minister Kamal Nath had announced that his ministry aimed of reduce accidents on the roads by half in the next three years.
The road transport and highways ministry had been able to utilise only 10 per cent of the fund allocated for providing road safety during the current financial year till November-end.
But in an embarrassment to the ministry, of the Rs 79 crore it got for safety in the current financial year, it had sued only Rs 7.6 crore till November. Also during the past two financial years, the ministry returned a part of its allocation, utilising Rs 54.9 crore of Rs 73 crore given in 2008-09 and Rs 42.9 crore of the Rs 52 crore allotted in 2007-08.
Primarily, safety of road users is the responsibility of the state governments, but the road transport ministry has schemes to make national highways safer. The ministry is supposed to run awareness campaigns for road safety, provide refresher training to heavy motor vehicle drivers, and provide ambulances and cranes on the highways for post accident care. It also does education and awareness campaigns.
TWO key moves that could make Indian roads safer by notches are set to be implemented in 2010. Compulsory "baby eats" in cars and covered rucks will finally touch down n India's expanding highway network, with the Ministry of road Transport & Highways ready to notify the two new rules next year. At present, both proposals are awaiting the Law Ministry's nod.
Moving to radically change he way India's three million plus trucks ply, the government plans to make it mandatory for all trucks to have closed cargo sections with overs at the top and in the ear. The truck driver's cabin too will have to meet certain standards like adequate seating space and controlled cabin temperature, never exceeding 35 degrees Celsius.
The truck body code suggests green tinted windscreen, slide windows, blowers, ventilation points and lining the whole cabin area with heat insulating material for the driver's comfort. No part of the vehicle's fixed component should intrude into the driver's work area -- this will ensure minimal injury in case of accidents.
While the cargo section will be a closed unit, no mountable carrier will be permitted above it. Once the truck body code is notified, all new trucks manufactured in India will have to follow these rules and the existing ones will be given a year's time to upgrade. And when truck covers become a must, the ministry hopes to end the practice of overloading.
"The idea to is to make Indian roads safer and also make trucks safer vehicles.
Maximum road accidents are said to be caused by heavy goods vehicles, mostly trucks.
We have formulated a truck body code as per which all trucks will have standard dimensions and the cargo section will have to be a closed unit, all covered up, as is the norm in most developed countries. This will ensure goods don't spill on to the road in case of an accident.
The severity of accident will also be lessened. Truck specifications will be such that in the event of an accident, minimal damage is caused," said a senior Ministry official. That apart, India will finally take one more crucial step to road safety by mandating the installation of "Child Restraint Systems" (CRS) across all power drive four-wheelers from passenger cars to passenger buses. The idea is to create a safe and designated space for children in cars.
Across Europe and the US, besides other countries like Australia,CRS is mandatory in all vehicles. The planned implementation schedule is two years for new car models and three years for existing models.
The Central Motor Vehicle Rules-Technical Standing Committee has already formulated automotive industry standards in order to make CRS compulsory -- the next big step after making seat belts
compulsory in cars.
FOLLOWING the lead of their Delhi counterparts, the Gurgaon police have now approached their headquarters with the request that they be allowed to spend half the funds collected as fines or challans to raise awareness on traffic safety issues among road users.
The Gurgaon police collected a whopping Rs 4 crore in the form of fines from approximately 84,936 challans issued from January 1 till December 31 in 2009, records show.
"If we can allocate 50 per cent of this amount to teaching commuters -- through various campaigns at school and college levels -- that road safety is largely their own responsibility, it will help bring down the number of fatalities and injuries in road accidents," S S Deswal, Gurgaon Commissioner of Police, said.
As per data available, the number of people killed in road accidents was almost four to five times the number of those killed in other crimes like murders etc, he added.
"If we have more resources, we can carry out informative campaigns though the mass media like newspapers, television, posters and hoardings," the police chief said. He added the police will carry out a massive drive during the Road Safety Week starting from Friday.
"We will issue fewer challans and instead educate people," he said.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Satinder Gupta, there has been almost a 23 per cent reduction in the number of deaths or injuries caused by road accidents in all three zones of Gurgaon in 2009, compared to the previous year.
"Through data available, we have marked a couple of priority areas like the Expressway, DLF area and Sushant Lok, where we have carried out intense drives against speeding, drink driving and underage driving.
The results have been encouraging," DCP Gupta said.
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