Team Herald
PANJIM: Nearly 60 per cent of persons in the age group of 24 and 40 lost their lives in the road accidents reported across the State during the last four-and-half months.
Of the 95 deaths reported in the last four and half months of this year, 60 were in the age group of 24 and 40 and most of them were two-wheeler riders and pillion riders.
Expressing concern over rising road accidents majorly involving youngsters, the traffic warriors have underscored the need of awareness campaigns in schools and colleges on traffic regulations and to take stringent measures.
Goa Civic and Consumer Action Network (GOACAN) coordinator Roland Martins stated that schools and colleges should take note of the increase in road accidents and create awareness on traffic regulations. The fatalities have devastated many families, as they lost their only earning member while it left some permanently disabled. “The deaths of youth in the age group of 24 and 40 is concerning because it is the productive age,” he said.
Martins stressed the need to create awareness in schools and colleges and among peer groups and bring traffic discipline in a bid to reduce the accidents involving youth.
“On Thursday, May 15, on the occasion of International Day of Families, let us remember all those families who have lost a family member and/or has a family member who is living with a permanent disability due to a road accident in the State,” Martins said, adding that the Department of Social Welfare should also take measures due to the impact.
Goa Road Safety Forum president Dilip Naik said, “The government is not serious and not bothered who dies on the road. There is a lack of will of the government and it is not interested in bringing down the road facilities.”
According to Naik, one of the reasons for road accidents is the issuing of driving licences to youth merely based on their vehicle skills. These youth do not know or obey traffic rules and jump traffic signals and cause accidents. This must stop. The government should also ensure that only roadworthy public vehicles are allowed on roads.
Naik further pointed out that signboards in the State were not as per the IRC specifications and suggested that the police should take strict action against those riding two-wheeler triple seat and without a helmet. He said that many countries have followed the Decade of Action for Road Safety adopted by the UN General Assembly resolution and have reduced fatalities by 50 per cent.
Naik said, “In Goa every year nearly 250 people are killed in road accidents and if we follow Decade of Action for Road Safety then the number of road accidents will be reduced to nearly 125 or even less.”
Member Secretary of MARG (Movement for Amity Towards Roads in Goa) Anant Agni said, “The deaths of 60 persons in road accidents in the last four-and-half months is concerning. Schools and colleges should continuously create awareness of traffic related issues and bring road culture among the students. We were trying to do it but the government in the past outsourced an agency from Pune. But it did not do much except distributing booklets to students. Measures should be taken to stop rash and reckless driving by the youth.”