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Lifesavers on roads

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AT least eight out of every 10 car occupants killed in accidents across India last year were not wearing seatbelts. Two out of every three two-wheeler riders who died in road crashes were not wearing helmets. The report of the Union road transport ministry reinforces the status of seatbelts and helmets as lifesavers. According to the World Health Organisation, the use of seatbelts can reduce serious crash-related injuries and deaths by half, while using properly fastened full-face helmets can bring down fatal injuries by up to 64 per cent and brain injuries by up to 74 per cent. This is not data that has sprung up suddenly. It has been widely disseminated over the years, yet the reluctance to wear seatbelts and helmets is astounding. Industrialist Cyrus Mistry’s death has prompted several states to impose fines for non-use of rear seatbelts, too. The Centre wants carmakers to install belt alarms for all seats.

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In 2015, India signed the Brasilia Declaration with a goal to reduce road deaths by 50 per cent in five years. By 2019, the number had gone up by 3 per cent. A staggering 4.12 lakh road accidents were reported across the country in 2021, in which 1.53 lakh people lost their lives. Compared to 2019, the number of accidents decreased by 8.1 per cent, but the death rate rose by 1.9 per cent. The pandemic restrictions ensured that 2020 saw an unprecedented decline in the number of accidents, deaths and injuries. Equally stark is last year’s figure of fatalities involving pedestrians — 29,124, of which 9,462 were reported on national highways — and cyclists: 4,702, with 1,667 on NHs. Cities have to pump money into people-centric solutions such as footpaths, pedestrian crossings and cycle tracks. Foot overbridges with pragmatic engineering make sense, not two-storey-high structures that most users will avoid.

Engineering, enforcement, education and emergency services are the guiding principles of road safety advocacy. All need a sustained push, but strict enforcement is absolutely essential to get the message across. The Chandigarh traffic regulation model may not be perfect, but it does deliver. There is no substitute for relentless challaning for violations.

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