Highlights

Accidents- Road/Traffic – Domestic- Understanding causation and working to reduce the number and mitigate the effects and consequences thereof. Using taxation to decongest Roads – Mitigate the effects of the Moral Hazard of people taking greater risks when provided with greater safety features. Training and education in Traffic rules and in First aid.

Road/Traffic accidents

Key Concepts

A road is a river of traffic and all movement along or across, in both directions and for a variety of vehicles and even pedestrians, has to be so regulated as to allow a smooth flow. It should only be crossed at designated crossings (Zebra Crossings or foot over bridges or under passes, analogous to bridges and ferries on real rivers) at regulated intervals to allow for traffic to flow smoothly.

• Traffic Rules need to be complied with by all road users (Pedestrians included).
• Roads are as, if not more, important to a City as its Parks and Open spaces, so adequate areas should be dedicated to them and care taken to properly maintain them.
• Convenient and Effective Mass Rapid Transport systems are the only way to reduce vehicular road traffic within a city.
• A vehicle user pays a road tax as per the foot print and estimated usage of the vehicle in addition to the property tax that all in a city must pay, and hence, should be at least allowed equitable right to road use as for the pedestrians, some of whom may not be paying any property tax at all.

Key Metrics

• Of the entire vehicle population (Trucks, Buses & Cars) in the Asia Pacific Region, Japan has 34 percent, China has 17 percent and India only 8 percent.
• Number of cars per thousand population is about in – USA – 838, Average across Europe – 543, Russia – 381, China – 196, Malaysia – 433, Thailand – 226, Indonesia – 100, Sri Lanka – 70, Nigeria – 64, Afghanistan – 47 while in India it is only 41 and hence, talk of too many cars is misleading. It is more of too less road and parking spaces.
• Number of fatalities from traffic accidents in 2010 in India was about 1.58 Lakhs, in China about 2.61 Lakhs and in Japan less than 5,224. Hence, it is not the number of vehicles only that is responsible for the high number of traffic accidents but other factors too. Most of the fatalities resulting from accidents in India (about 81 percent) are of two- wheeler riders and pillion riders, of which most are due to the lack of road discipline and to the not wearing of helmets. (See Annexure for comparative figures in other typical countries).
• Desirable road area as percentage of total city area is 25 percent, Indian cities have much less. (Delhi – 22 percent, Mumbai – 17 percent, Hyderabad – 11 percent and Kolkata – 6 percent).
• Also, as the average speed of traffic in Delhi is 20 kms/hr., Mumbai 18 kms/hr, Hyderabad 14 kms/hr., Chennai-12 kms/hr, Bengaluru- 8 kms/ hr., calling for unnecessary safety features as may be required for cars on Expressways and cars abroad only serve to escalate the cost of cars to beyond the reach of a two-wheeler owner who seeks to upgrade his family to a car. No one can really argue that a simple four- wheeler, with at best a seat-belt, is not far safer than a two-wheeler especially for a family. True, car variants must be available with additional safety features, but also there must be variants. with minimum safety features (seat belts), as it can be no one’s argument that such a car is not safer than a two-wheeler carrying many family members. The decision for a desired level of safety should be left to the purchaser and not a patriarchal government authority. The recently introduced ‘Bajaj’ Quadricycle is a step in the right direction.

India has by far the highest number of traffic accidents, and even of fatalities from them, of all the countries in the world, though perhaps not if measured per vehicle, or per kilometre length of road, or per capita, or even per vehicle kilometre. A more accurate and representative measure would be as a factor of the density and diversity of traffic and quality of road discipline.

However, any such statistic should be seen in proper context before reaching any conclusion on the actions to be taken to reduce accidents and fatalities. Comparisons of number of accidents /fatalities by Country are fallacious because such a comparison does not account for population size, population density, availability and quality of road area with respect to total area of Cities, access control to highways, vehicular use, availability of foot paths and pedestrian / animal crossings, variety and limitations of vehicular and other traffic on roads and highways, and knowledge and implementation of road / lane discipline by all users of roads and those crossing them.

If these factors are taken into account, the picture would not present Indian roads to be as deadly as looking at only the numbers does.

Of course, this does not in any way reduce the sheer enormity of the human tragedy and also, of the economic costs the road accidents cause, and the importance of attending to as many, if not all, of the causes as urgently and comprehensively as possible by all concerned.

Actions Required

A start should be made by recognizing that road safety is equally the responsibility of all road users and not just the bigger vehicle drivers. The attitude to blame only the driver of the vehicle / bigger vehicle for every accident, even if it is not really his / her fault should be overcome. Vote bank ideology should not be a consideration in this matter if everyone is to be really treated as equal before law. Whether the car is a Maruti or a Mercedes does not make the accident any different, so stop letting envy guide your call.

Every road user is equally responsible to ensure that he/ she does not behave in a way as to endanger him / herself or the other road users, and should always be equally conscious of the rights of the other road users. To do otherwise is to behave in a rash and negligent manner, whether driving, or riding, or jay walking and each such activity should be duly punishable under the law. Every road user pays dearly for anarchy either in time lost, fuel wasted, extra pollution and maintenance costs and most of all in serious injuries and lives lost.

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