Road safety in India

It was 21^st may 2013, just before lunch time, email in inbox for condolence of five contract employee’s death in road accident. All these employees were working on third party contract with our company from many years. I knew two of them, as I interacted with them in last few months. All of them were in age group of 25-40 years. It was sad news for victim’s families.

During our tea break on same day, I asked to tea serving person about accident details and victim’s family details. Tea serving person was also from same contract company. Then I asked him, do you have group insurance provided by their employer. He said “no” and went back to his work. Not sure, whether he understood my question. This contract company is MNC (Revenue 18 Billion Euro) and giving housekeeping and maintenance services to many big companies and should have group insurance to their employees.

After about 1 month of this incidence, I thought of writing this post on "Road safety in India"

Although, road conditions in India improved in last few years, but safety is long way to go for Indian roads. Few shocking statistics about road accidents in India are as given below.

1.       One road accident every minute, which claimed one life every 3.7 minutes (highest in the world).  

2.       Maharashtra topped the list of road accidents (68,438), followed by Tamilnadu, MP, Karnatak and AP

3.       53.5% accidents were reported from rural areas, reflecting a rising tide of motorization in rural India. Compared to this urban areas reported 46.5% of the total number of road accidents.   

4.        “A majority of road accident victims – 51.9 %  -- are in the 25-65 age group followed by 30.3% in the 15-24 age group,” the official said. These are age groups contributing to most of India’s GDP

When I was in USA, one of my counterpart (US citizen) who visited to India, two years back expressed few facts of Indian Road system. In his words: “There is no road system in India, Trucks, cars, bikes, and pedestrian, bicycles uses same road. So speed of vehicle = speed of bicycle”.  I was speechless and my answer was simple: “We never thought of so many vehicles in socialist India”.

Few of my observations about Indian Road System and Roads in USA. Of course these are not comparable at all. But few things to learn.

Roads in India	Roads in USA
Many more bikes, bicycles, rikshaws on Highways with High speed vehicles. No low speed limit on Highways. People with low speed vehicles are risking their lives.	There is low speed limit on Highways. So slow vehicles never travel with high speed vehicles
Highways pass through villages, towns. People, animals risking their lives while crossing roads on daily basis.	Safe exits for town on Highways. No highway passes through villages/towns
In city, footpaths are occupied by shops/stalls, two wheelers uses footpath for driving	No stalls on footpaths, nobody is driving on footpaths

Among these points, few are definitely of good infrastructure building and some points are of just discipline. In infrastructure building, we have very little in hand (e.g. pressure group for safety drive). After death of Marathi actor “Anand Abyankar”, artists formed group for safety drive and talked to government. Government acted on some of risky barricades. Good start but not enough. Now there are many good safety drives proposed from government side on Highways. After all ,  rules to be followed by Indians (tough task).

Few of common safety tips, everybody knows but “Chalata hai” approach risking your and others lives

1.       Helmet on 2-wheeler and safety belt in 4-wheeler

2.       Do not reverse 4- wheeler with high speed

3.       Never exceed specified limit

4.       Do not drive, if you have taken liquor

5.       Do not drive in less visibility or if you are tired

6.       Ask driver to take proper sleep, if you are going on long drive. Do not drive continuously for more than 3 hrs. Take appropriate breaks

Safety First