The aim to bring in the amendment was not only to change people’s perception towards driving a vehicle but to promote safe and sustainable mobility in India.
We have recently seen the highly appreciated Samaritan role of Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant helping out an accident victim on Zuari Bridge. In fact, in hind sight it is a wake-up call for all those who are on the road. Experiments and thrills on roads can only be curtailed if there is a fear of being heavily fined, impounding of driving licence or even seizure of vehicle. In India no other method can lead to discipline, expect the discomfort of facing penalty. In fact, it is required for the safety of all. If the Chief Minister can call for banning of single use plastic, he and his cabinet can also immediately implement the amended Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 which can save several lives on the road.
The expectation from the Goa government was that the new traffic rules should have been implemented the very next day of it being an Act, however, it does not seem that it will see the light of the day till early next year. Many States in the country did not bat an eyelid before implementing it the very next day of it being an Act. It would be interesting to see the accident figures from August 2019 to February 2020.
With 15 lakh population, Goa has about 14.10 lakh vehicles of which two-wheelers account for a major share of 68.95 per cent followed by cars which is around 20.76 per cent. However, the good news is that the number of accidental deaths on roads in Goa came down to a 15-year-low in 2018 even as the vehicular traffic increased. According to a report released by the traffic cell of the police department despite the year-on-year growth rate of 13.9 per cent in the number of vehicles on Goa’s roads, there was 5.31 per cent decrease in accidents last year.
Even though there is a significant reduction in accidental deaths, which is 21.32 per cent less number of people killed in motor vehicle accidents last year as compared to 2017, it should not be taken as an encouraging sign as we need to have our Utopian target of zero accidental deaths on the roads of Goa. It is achievable and can be done with discipline and proper issuance of driving licences. The presence of unskilled and irresponsible driver on the roads not only risks his/her own life but also is a potent threat to others on the road.
If we go by the analysis of fatal accidents we see that 55.64 per cent vehicles involved in such incidents were two-wheelers. Similarly, 69.46 per cent victims of the fatal accidents were two-wheeler and pillion riders. The data also reveals that self-driving accidents topped the chart with almost 82.92 per cent of such cases. As compared to the all India average of 36.3 deaths per one lakh population, Goa recorded a rate of 44.6, the 14th highest rate of deaths by accident in the country. In a small State, the casualty figure is too high as compared to the size of other States in India.
The issue is not the data, but safety on the road. Good roads also mean greater speed and risk. The thrill of speed has killed a lot of reckless drivers and others on the street. Who is responsible for this? Traffic Police cannot handle it alone and should not be blamed squarely for such accidents. The primary responsibility lies with the citizens who are driving.
In Goa, the two-wheeler riders have been seen overtaking vehicles from the left hand side. It can be fatal if this risk is taken at a turning. Many a time it is escaping from death by the skin of the teeth. Space on road does not mean that a risk can be taken to manoeuvre a two-wheeler and overtake from the left hand side of the vehicle in front. It would be interesting to see the data on how many accidents have taken place just by this action.
