Not surprisingly, it has been established that reckless driving causes a major portion of road accidents in Dimapur. An Eastern Mirror exclusive on Sunday has the Traffic ACP of Dimapur saying that accidents caused due to mechanical failures in automobiles are very less in comparison to other causes like drunken driving, rash driving and violation of traffic regulations.
It is unfortunate that such careless driving is common on our roads. Figures provided by the Dimapur traffic authorities inform that in the six months between January and June this year, there were 294 reported cases of motor accidents in the streets of Dimapur. That is almost 50 accidents per month, and almost 2 accidents per day. Consider that once.
In the meantime, let us be reminded that the report has also said that in the same period there were 24 deaths from road accidents. Four deaths in our streets every month, on average. Again, for the same period there were 143 cases of injuries. Surely, this must represent frightening figures to all concerned. Conversely, these statistics on human tragedy has once again brought to focus the need to enhance road safety in our streets.
Perhaps the instinctive response to this suggestion could be to point fingers at poor traffic management by our traffic authorities. Maybe, it is not without merit. Because in terms of traffic management, it goes without saying that much depends on the traffic police’s commitment and ability to enforce the rules without fear or favour. But it would be foolhardy to expect the police and the traffic authorities alone to promote a road safety culture. It is equally important that the public be made aware of safety issues.
Here let us also not turn a blind eye to the fact that most of the vehicles in our streets are piloted with scant regard for either law or personnel and public safety. Rapid motorisation over the years has been accompanied by rising number of accident fatalities. It is no secret that there are a large number of underage drivers, not just in Dimapur but in the entire state. Most are unskilled and untrained on traffic etiquettes and road safety measures. We must understand that drivers, passengers, and even pedestrians have a role to play in making our roads safer. Beginning to educate children on road safety at an early age has worked well in the developed nations.
True, accidents result also because of unreliable or poor infrastructure such as dim streetlights, dilapidated roads and absent signals. And accident investigation, more or less, remains a neglected area still. But our traffic authorities could and should carry out impromptu checks and impound those who are caught violating rules. Sustained campaigns of such nature, in which penalties are imposed for every violation, will surely be an effective way of getting the drivers to obey traffic rules and regulations.
We have the archaic Motor Vehicles Act, but it can be a basis to evolve a rulebook on traffic rules and regulations that are relevant to our context. Perhaps, we could evolve it to give road accidents the status of a public health issue because the number of deaths in our streets should alarm us. Only determined actions can change the prognosis of fatalities in our streets. Perhaps, one way to start is by introducing zero tolerance enforcement.
