It was startling to note that Goa reported an average of 28 fatalities every month during the first four months of this year, deducing that a life was lost everyday on the ‘blood-thirsty’ roads of the State. The only consolation, the figure is slightly better than last year when 128 fatalities were reported in the first four months. However, with an average of 245 accidents every month, 981 accidents were reported from January to April this year against 982 accidents during the same period in 2023.
A look at the data reveals a consistent growth in road accident fatalities. Goa witnessed 2,384 road accidents in 2020 with a death toll of 223, which climbed to 2,851 accidents and 226 deaths in 2021 and 3,011 accidents and 271 tragic deaths in 2022. Last year, 2,846 accidents were reported and 290 fatalities.
According to oncologists in the State, Goa reports approximately 1,500 new cancer cases every year, and guess what, the number of victims of road accidents too is about the same. In 2023, a total of 1,468 people were victims of road accidents, including 290 fatalities, 309 grievously injured and others suffered minor injuries.
However, road accidents are the biggest cause of youth deaths surpassing even cancer. In nearly two-thirds of the fatalities in Goa last year, that is 170, the age of the victims ranged between 18-45 years.
In October 2022, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant held an open forum to address the problem of road accidents and the resulting fatalities. Hundreds of suggestions were received and a promise to take immediate action was made. But the data for last year and the first four months of this year exposes the government’s inability to fix the problem.
The government’s own data breaks the myth that curves and sharp turns lead to more accidents. The 2023 data informs that 85 per cent of the accidents occurred on straight roads and nearly 97 per cent fatalities were reported when the weather was clear and sunny. Therefore, another myth of monsoon being a killer weather is also broken.
The 2023 data also revealed that nearly two-thirds of the victims were two-wheeler riders or pillions. The data also informed that over-speeding was the single largest and almost the only cause of road accidents. Despite all the impetus and the slogan for better road infrastructure development, 93 per cent of road accidents were due to over-speeding last year.
Interestingly, while 20,722 cases were sent to the Transport Department for suspension of the motor driving licence during the year, only 3,808 licences were suspended until November last year. That action is no deterrent at all for the violators.
The government while focusing on creating state-of-the-art road infrastructure should ensure that all the parameters envisaged in guidelines on the Indian Roads Congress are followed. In addition, Goa having its unique lifestyle and environment, the infrastructure development should reflect the aesthetics of the State.
However, here are a couple of suggestions the government may think of executing to ensure an immediate action against road accidents and fatalities. The Transport Department as well as the police force should be provided with alcometers and speed guns to keep a close eye on drunken driving and over-speeding. In the long run, just as they do in advanced countries, Goa should take the lead in installing speed monitoring cameras across the length and breadth of the State.
Secondly, the way the taxis have been directed to enforce speed-governor lock system to ensure that no taxi – even a rent-a-cab – moves beyond the speed of 80 km/hr threshold, Goa government should contemplate on enforcing speed governors for all types of vehicles, but two-wheelers in specific.
The blood bath on Goans roads ought to stop and the government has a responsibility beyond lip service to save innocent lives lost on the roads every year.
