Road safety body concerned over fatal road accidents
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, October 27
The International Road Federation, (IRF) a Geneva-based not-for-profit organisation promoting the cause of safe roads and smart mobility worldwide, has shared its concern over the growing incidences of fatal road accidents in the country, particularly with regard to Amritsar and Ludhiana in Punjab which account for maximum road accident deaths in the country, in terms of severity of fatalities and injuries.
The IRF has written to Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh asking him to join hands in reducing deaths during road accidents in the state as despite small improvement in the year 2019, Amritsar and Ludhiana account for one of the highest road deaths in the country, according to IRF’s data. Punjab ranks 17th in number of fatal road accidents, among top 20 states, with 4,525 persons killed in road accidents during the year 2019 in 6,348 road accidents. About 264 persons died in 553 road accidents in Ludhiana and 95 people died in 133 road accidents in the holy city of Amritsar during the year 2019, the IRF data reports.
According to latest data released by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, among all the million-plus cities in India, roads were among the deadliest in Ludhiana and Amritsar.
“India accounts for more than 12 per cent of the total fatal road accidents worldwide. As per the road accidents data, during 2019, about 1.51 lakh people lost their lives and 4.51 lakh injured in 4.50 lakh road accidents. India is a signatory to the UN Decade of Action and is committed to bring down the road accident fatalities by 50 per cent by 2020,” said KK Kapila, president, Emeritus, International Road Federation.
Kapila requested the state government to approach the issue through policy change and strict implementation. “The Punjab government needs to try to cut the road accident fatality through a new road safety policy that focuses on first response at the ‘’golden hour’’ (the first hour after the accident). The state government should announce a Road Safety policy in the state with quick rescue of injured and administration of first aid; have uniform design of all roads and ensure zero black spot policy for reduction in the road accidents,” added Kapila.
