Even death fails to deter

Ambala woke up to news of an accident that left everyone numb on Tuesday. On an average, 378 persons die daily in road accidents in India, most a result of rash and drunken driving. When the disrespect for traffic rules and abysmal enforcement complement each other, road safety is more a matter of chance. Taking a look within on the issue, the Supreme Court has also appealed to lawmakers for a re-look at the penalties and make these stricter. It has come down hard on courts for being lenient in awarding jail terms, leading to “many believing as if they are emperors of roads... projecting themselves as larger than life... as if there are no traffic rules or no discipline of law”.

The apex court feels that Section 304-A of the IPC, which provides for a maximum of two years’ imprisonment or fine or both for causing death by negligence, is failing to act as a deterrent. It has upheld Punjab’s appeal against the high court reducing the jail term in a road accident case that claimed two lives, questioning how people with means have been given to understand that compensation is the way to escape jail. Questions though remain about the effectiveness of the process to get to the point of conviction itself, and why every case that involves a person with means, say Salman Khan, sees twists and turns.

Zero tolerance on traffic rules is what the developed world relies on. What bigger deterrence can there be than losing the right to drive if you repeatedly jump the lights, let alone more serious offences. The road transport ministry’s approach is different. It is actually planning to dilute the penalties proposed in the Draft Road Transport and Safety Bill. From up to seven years of jail if negligent driving results in the death of a child, it has brought it down to “at least one”. Even the proposed penalty for rash or drunken driving is being watered down since the MPs think it will be harsh on first-time offenders. Need we say more?