Fauja Singh’s death highlights issue of road safety, pedestrians bearing brunt of it

The tragic death of 114-year-old Fauja Singh, the world’s oldest marathon runner, in a hit-and-run accident near his village has once again exposed the poor state of road safety, particularly for pedestrians in state. Known globally as a symbol of fitness and endurance, Fauja Singh’s death has drawn attention to the menace of road accidents, with pedestrians often paying the highest price.

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While crossing a rural road, Fauja Singh was fatally struck by an unidentified vehicle that sped away without stopping. His demise is not an isolated incident but part of a worrying trend. According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, hit-and-run cases account for 18.1 per cent of total road accident deaths in India. Alarmingly, pedestrians make up 18 per cent of fatalities in urban areas and 13 per cent in rural regions.

Local statistics paint an equally grim picture. In Amritsar district alone, 24 cases of accident have been reported in the first half of this year, resulting in 25 deaths and 22 injuries. Last year, 62 people lost their lives in road accidents in the district.

Experts blame encroachments on footpaths and lack of dedicated pedestrian infrastructure as key reasons behind the growing fatalities. A joint study by the Punjab government’s traffic advisors, NGO Rahgeer, and Guru Nanak Dev University’s Guru Ramdas School of Planning in 2019, had revealed that pedestrians are forced to walk on roads due to footpaths being occupied by illegal vendors and parked vehicles. The three-year research shows that pedestrians and two-wheeler riders are the main victims, mostly hit by cars.

The study also identified several black spots on city roads where most fatal accidents occur.

“The death of Fauja Singh exposed our road safety infrastructure. Urgent infrastructural improvements and strict enforcement of laws against footpath encroachments are needed to prevent further tragedies. The pedestrians remain most vulnerable road users and the authorities should make policies keeping them in mind,” said advocate Randhir Sharma.