BASIC PRINCIPLES OF ROAD SAFETY

o Respect traffic rules/regulations and signs/symbols: As a road user your acts should be governed by an inborn will to be safe and let others safe on roads. This would come only when you have respect for traffic rules and regulations. Lookout for road signs and symbols and follow them.

o Maintain your cool even in adverse situations: You may be burdened with unending number of problems at the home or office, but keep them aside before you venture on to the roads. Always keep yourselves fresh and cool.

o Care & concern for others: Keep in mind that you are not the sole owner of roads but others have similar right on it. Remember that road is not a place to show anger. Prevention of accident should be a major concern of road users.

o Be prepared for any kind of eventuality: Drivers and pedestrian may behave in an unpredictable manner. As a road user you should judge the situation correctly and act accordingly.

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Indian Road Congress: Pedestrian Facilities Norms

General Principles:


• Pedestrian facilities should be planned in an integrated manner to ensure continuous flow.
• Reduce conflict between pedestrians and vehicles.
• Convinience is paramount.

Footpath / sidewalk:


• Should be on both sides
• Minimum width 1.5 meters
• There are criteria based on pedestrians per hour and width of footpath may have to be as much as 4 meters
• In shooping areas, width should be increased by 1 meter (to be treated as dead width)
• When adjacent to building, fences - dead width has to be 0.5 meters


Pedestrian Crossings:


• Types - at grade and grade separated

At grade crossings (crosswalks): Covers both - crossings at intersections and mid-block, can be controlled / uncontrolled by signals.


• Zebra width - 2 to 4 meters
• Not within 150 meters from each other
• Median strip should be adequate width (this is the only reference to pedestrian refuges)
• Mid-block crossings should be provided when distance between two consecutive intersections is more than 300 meters
• Controlled crossings - warranted when one or more of following apply - peak pedestrian volume per hour (P) and vehicles are such that PV (V is squared) more or equal to 10 to the power of 8, approach speeds 65kph, wait times for pedestrians are too long (time not specified) and finally accidents records indicate 5 or more pedestrian injuries a year (not deaths, so threshold is low)
• Control measure could be a push button pelican signal when pedestrians are fewer.

Grade separated: subways / foot over bridges - 2.5 meter width and height, but 4-6 meters width is advisable (there are criteria based on capacity considerations)

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Road Safety for Children

More than 260000 children globally die from traffic injuries. They may have been pedestrians, bicyclists, car occupants, motorcycle riders or motorcycle passengers, or passengers on public transport. In some countries, children work on the streets, usually selling merchandise, where they weave in and out of moving traffic. Disabilities and impairments can hinder the progress of children in their early years depriving them of education and social development.

Traditionally, road safety for children has focused on road safety education - with the assumption that children must be taught how to adapt their behaviour. However, when used in isolation education does not deliver permanent reductions in traffic deaths and serious injuries. The systems approach has proved valuable in delivering greater road safety for children.

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Care of the victim

For every person who dies of a traffic accident injury, hundreds more are injured. Providing good support and care to victims is essential. Appropriate services for the injured can prevent fatalities, reduce the amount of short and long-term disabilities and help victims cope with the impact of injury on their lives.

There is a pressing need to strengthen the quality and availability of pre-hospital trauma care throughout the world. Simple measures such as positioning the victim correctly while waiting for emergency services can mean the difference between life and death. There is an equally a pressing need to strengthen the quality and availability of trauma care at hospitals and clinics. Many low-cost improvements could be made to enhance the care of injured persons including human (training and staffing) and physical resources (infrastructure, equipment and supplies).

Apart from the physical trauma, every road incident with injuries has psychological consequences. Psychological support is essential for both the person involved in a road crash and for relatives.


source-gtkp resource centre
www.gtkp.com

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(c) Law regarding drunken driving

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.

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(b) Daylight use of front-lights

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.

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(a)Use of helmets

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.

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