‘Raise traffic fines to curb growing accidents’
March 11th, 2011 - 7:04 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, March 11 (IANS) Over 100,000 people are killed in accidents on Indian roads every year and experts say that better signages and lighting, curbing drunken driving and hiking fines for traffic offences could help reduce the exceptionally high toll.
“Over 1,10,000 lives are lost in accidents on Indian roads every year apart from incurring financial losses to the country to an extent of 2 to 3 percent of the GDP,” A.K. Sharma, director of School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) which will host a three-day international seminar on ‘National Road Development Strategies and Road Safety on Improved Highways’ from March 14, said here Friday.
Apart from leading consultants and experts, participation from other key players such as NGOs, government institutions and research organisations is also expected at the seminar, he said. An exhibition displaying latest road safety technologies and equipment will also be part of the event.
According to Sharma, global trends on road safety indicate fatalities on roads and highways will be the third highest killer by 2021.
The heightened pace of road development has left the delicate issue of road safety behind and as a result users are losing enormous losses in terms of life and property, he said.
M.S. Upadhye, chief security commissioner of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, said the system used by the authorities to hold someone accountable in case of an accident was wrong and needed to be reformed.
“Our system is based on assumptions like the victim is innocent, the driver is at fault and whatever may be the case, the bigger vehicle is always blamed for an accident. This is why our records and statistics collected over the years are all wrong,” he said.
Moreover, the fines for violating traffic laws must go up, Upadhye said.
“They have not been amended since 1978 which is absolutely foolish. In a growing economy like ours, many of the offenders do not mind paying Rs.100 as a fine but if this is raised to Rs.500, there will be a definite change,” he said.
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Tags: chief security, delhi metro rail, delhi metro rail corporation, delicate issue, development strategies, enormous losses, financial losses, global trends, government institutions, highways, indian roads, international seminar, march 11, research organisations, road safety, safety technologies, signages, traffic fines, traffic laws, traffic offences