Danger ahead: On India’s road safety record (The Hindu)

• Mains Paper 2:Governance 
• Prelims level: Motor Vehicles Act
• Mains level: Highlights the impact of the new Motor Vehicles Act

Context:

• Union Transport Minister has expressed optimism that the significant amendments made to the Motor Vehicles Act have begun reducing the terrible death toll due to accidents on India’s roads. 

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Impact of the new Motor Vehicles Act: 

• The reported reduction in crashes, notably in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, proof of the law’s beneficial impact. 
• Any reduction in road safety incidents in a rapidly motorising country is encouraging, but the cold reality is that data on those who lose their lives or are incapacitated do not reflect a marked decline. 
• The policymakers tolerating the loss of about 1.5 lakh lives each year since 2015, with the graph rising from 80,888 fatalities in 2001.
• The new Motor Vehicles law does have more muscle in being able to levy stringent penalties for road rule violations — some States are using it — but that is not the same as saying that India has moved to a scientific road system marked by good engineering, sound enforcement, appropriate technology use and respect for all road users. 
• The World Bank ‘Delivering Road Safety in India’ report is apprehensive that rapid motorisation and more high-speed road infrastructure have raised the risks for road users.
• The transition to a professional road environment requires implementation of first-tier reforms that deal with quality of road infrastructure, facilities for vulnerable users and zero-tolerance enforcement of rules by a trained, professional and empowered machinery. 
• A key mechanism of change are District Road Safety Committees, which were enabled even by the 1988 Act, but remain obscure. 

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Way forward: 

• It is essential to make the Collector, local body and police accountable. 
• Making dashboard cameras mandatory, with the video evidence accepted in investigation, would protect rule-abiding motorists and aid enforcement. 
• To save lives on highways, quality trauma care at the district level holds the key. 
• In the absence of good hospitals and cashless free treatment, no significant improvement is possible in the quest to save life and limb.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Women Transforming India (WTI) Awards, consider the following statements:
1. It was organized by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
2. It aims to highlight the commendable and ground-breaking endeavours of India’s women leaders and changemakers. 
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: ........................

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Mains Questions:
Q.1) Describe the impact of new motor vehicles act. What the roles district committees can play to ensure better road safety?

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