The ministry of street transport & highways deployed 300 ambulances at designated toll plazas for facilitating emergency medical help to accident victims. (Shutterstock)
As per knowledge from the ministry of street transport & highways (MoRTH), 56 per cent or greater than half the fatalities in street accidents throughout India in 2022 occurred on a freeway
Helicopter touchdown amenities and ambulances stationed at choose freeway toll plazas, building of pedestrian underpasses and overbridges and detailed research of accident-prone spots are among the steps India has begun taking to cut back street fatalities throughout the state and nationwide highways crisscrossing the nation.
These measures have develop into crucial within the gentle of damning street fatality knowledge. India continues to maintain the doubtful distinction of reporting the very best variety of street fatalities on the planet, with nationwide and state highways/expressways changing into demise traps.
As per knowledge from the ministry of street transport & highways (MoRTH), 56 per cent or greater than half the fatalities in street accidents throughout India in 2022 occurred on a freeway. The complete variety of casualties on these highways/expressways was 1,02,050. In different phrases, practically 280 folks died on daily basis on a freeway/expressway someplace within the nation final yr. In addition to these preventable deaths, greater than 2.5 lakh Indians have been injured on a nationwide or state freeway final yr.
The pertinent level to be aware right here is that state and nationwide highways account for greater than half the variety of deaths and accidents regardless of accounting for nearly 5 per cent of the full street community throughout the size and breadth of the nation. And the variety of accidents elevated on state in addition to nationwide highways in 2022. So what’s the authorities doing to forestall accidents on highways?
The MoRTH has taken a number of steps to make highways safer. It has already deployed 300 ambulances at designated toll plazas for facilitating emergency medical help to accident victims. It has additionally begun assessing pedestrian footfalls for future freeway tasks so {that a} commensurate provision of footover bridges and underpasses/subways could be made throughout the bidding stage of a nationwide freeway as an alternative of getting to assemble these amenities later. This will guarantee security of pedestrians — native residents and others — who use highways the place vehicular velocity is increased than on metropolis roads.
But a Parliamentary Standing Committee, which examined points associated to the street transport sector, has mentioned in its report that the MoRTH ought to be certain that helicopter touchdown amenities are additionally supplied at toll plazas throughout the nation’s highways to present emergency medical help. Already, such amenities are being developed on the Delhi-Mumbai expressway and in another cases, the ministry has mentioned.
The parliamentary panel has additionally advisable {that a} research must be performed in regards to the street security provisions on highways in developed international locations, the place the accident charges are a lot decrease than that of India’s nationwide highways.
But maybe probably the most impactful step taken within the street security quest had been MoRTH’s request to the Education Ministry to incorporate completely different elements of street security within the curriculum for college students of each main and secondary requirements. Safe journey must be taught early in life and what higher place than to study this in class?
