World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims: Addressing challenges surrounding road safety

New Delhi [India], Nov 22 (ANI): The growing cases of road crash accidents in the country highlight the urgency to overcome the challenges pertaining to road safety.

The occasion of World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is the perfect platform to address these issues.

According to the Accidents India 2016 report, around 55 road accidents every hour kill 17 people per hour on an average. This figure presents a very bleak picture and according to experts the situation could become worse if timely steps are not taken.

Inappropriate behaviour of the road user, delay in help in case of road traffic injury, poor implementation of traffic rules and faulty road designs, all contribute to the spiraling road crash numbers in the country.

Among these, over speeding and the lack of timely assistance to the victims are the most prominent challenges.

Recounting her trauma she faced, Neeti Goel said, "My father, Subodh Kumar Gupta lost his life in a hit and run accident. I have felt anger, helplessness, sadness and severe anguish each time I think about this situation. While fighting to get justice, I have come to realise that road crashes are a consequence of several causes - from weak law and enforcement to improper training. It is my plea, on this World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, that these issues are addressed at the soonest and comprehensively so that lives on roads can be saved."

"Road crashes cause irreparable trauma. Behind every news item about a fatal road crash is a story of fellow citizens, with hopes and dreams brutally crushed by this preventable epidemic. The worst affected are children, who rely on us adults to keep them safe. On World Day of Remembrance, we would like to remind our policymakers that a million deaths over the past decade in road crashes is not just a number, but a monumental collection of human stories that were abruptly cut short," said Piyush Tewari, CEO, SaveLIFE Foundation.

In order to prevent more such cases from taking place, the focus has to be on road safety management, safer roads, safer vehicles and better post-crash response mechanism. Moreover, an overarching framework can lead to a better implementation of road safety.

Although, there is an array of interventions which already exist, a step wise and systematic approach to tackling the challenges is the need of the hour. (ANI)