As per statistics, in Goa the number of accidents per lakh of population is 220 against the national average of 40. The number of people killed in accidents per lakh population is 15 as compared to the nationwide average of 11. Considering the number of accidents being more than the national average, it is understood that Goa Police have decided to conduct free training sessions on road and traffic safety for the general public and students. The three-hour long sessions will reportedly be held at it’s Porvorim and Margao district headquarters every Saturday.
Records show that one-third of the accidents are self-accidents. This fact underlines the need of such training sessions. It may be recalled that in the past it was proposed to give road-users, who have been booked for violating traffic rules, a talk on safe driving at the site itself after imposing a penalty for violating the traffic rule. This proposal for some reason did not take off. The latest step to be taken by the Goa Police must be considered as a step in the right direction.
But then it must be said that it will take a gargantuan effort on the part of the police given the number of two-wheeler riders and four-wheeler drivers on the roads. It is pertinent to note that many of the students who drive vehicles do so with a ‘Learners License’. It is easy to get such a license as those who apply for it only need to know the road-signs. It would have been advantageous if all those who apply for the license, are made to mandatorily attend a free training session on road and traffic safety.
A recent study has also shown that visual parameters such as colour vision, depth perception and contrast sensitivity of drivers reportedly influence crash involvement rates. The data was published in ‘Current Science’ last month. Hence more attention needs to be paid on the visual capabilities during the licensing process. It would be in the fitness of things to introduce rules that makes persons with unacceptable standards of visual function to be able to get the license only after the problem is rectified. The same requirement could be extended to one’s hearing ability as well. A driver with diminished hearing capability can be of risk to self and other road-users and the pedestrians. Hence stricter norms concerning the physical capabilities of the driver specially, with regards to vision and hearing need to be in place while issuing the driving license.
