Perhaps there is not a single day where our local daily newspapers have not reported either a road accident or a related death on Goan roads during past … say 10 to 15 years.
It is a well known fact that regarding road tragedies and fatalities, our State ranks among the top four States in India. Out of approximately 3000 road accidents reported annually, 10% succumb to injuries. A staggering 300 deaths.
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Accidents are unexpected, wounds painful, scars are memories, thus goes a saying. To realise this, one must visit trauma, orthopaedic, and neurosurgery wards of GMC. At once you will be transported into a different world.
You will be shell shocked to see patients with head traumas, spinal fractures, brainstem injuries, some battling for life, some comatose, few others with amputations; all from road mishaps. Incapacitated, crippled, maimed for life. Yet a few slowly turning into vegetable. Some of them will stare at you with vacant look. After their discharge from hospital, their ‘road to recovery’ seems distant ahead. Give a look at the devastated, pathetic state of their near and dear ones. A sense of sorrow and hopelessness pervades on their innocent faces. A few unfortunate ones have lost their only breadwinner and are now literally on roads.
Two main reasons behind all these devastating, blood curdling scenarios: Bad road and traffic system; and the rash, reckless, negligent driving.
‘Street smart’ politicians see that roads get facelift only during elections. But the problem is far from over.
Bad road engineering, absence of traffic signals (barring a few on highways), pot holes, no proper signs, perpetual cattle menace, no special lane for pedestrians and two-wheelers, poor night patrolling, political interference…are some ‘roadblocks’ to the path to successful traffic system which could have been worked out in line with Western counterparts. Speed detectors, catchy hoardings about ill effects of drunk driving, traffic sentinels, alcometer testing, road safety weeks, naka bandis… have not yielded desired results yet.
Coming to driving, the less said, the better. Two-wheeler deaths outnumber all accident deaths. It is common sight on Goan roads to see these arrogant bike riders zoom past your car in whatever direction they want, with lightning speed! Road rage is a crazy virus that is fast spreading affecting mostly youngsters as there is no vaccine for this.
Besides being land of fun, frolic and football Goa is also a place for fast bikes (and cars), feni and foolish drivers. So when these three factors work in tandem, the driver becomes human bomb.
To sum it up, today there is still utter chaos and confusion on most of the Goan roads and this is due to lackadaisical attitude on the part of government and the lack of civic and driving sense among the members of the public at large.
Will the newly formed government walk ‘extra mile’ and have new plans to bring discipline on road? I know it’s ‘long way’ to go, but definitely they would do well to explore the ‘road less travelled’ by previous governments!
