The last few months have seen a steep incline in the number of deaths in accidents on highways. Ironically, the state government had set up a committee three years ago to suggest measures to reduce such accidents on highways. However, none or very few of the committee’s recommendations have been implemented, with the bulk of its suggestions remaining merely on paper.
The state is struggling to reduce the accidents on the its highways. However, while the state is concerned about accidents being on the rise, the committee that was formed three years ago to suggest measures to reduce exactly such accidents on the highway is now practically defunct.
In 1997, the state also formed an accident prevention committee. After the committee was reconstituted as an institution in 2007, it made certain recommendations to ensure that the number of accidents on the highway are reduced, if not prevented altogether.
From time to time, various petitions filed in the Bombay high court forced the state to adopt certain measures to try and reduce the number of accidents on the highways within city limits. However, the fact that the highway safety police (HSP), which monitors the state’s highways covering 33,705 km, has in its possession only 47 breathalysers and 18 laser speed-guns is testimony to the general apathy towards curbing accidents on highways.
As many as 7,311 dangerous spots identified by the highway safety police were examined by the committee that was set up to reduce the number of accidents. The committee then suggested immediate, short-term as well as long-term measures to prevent accidents. However, it has been observed that most of these recommendations remained only on paper, even after three years since the committee was reconstituted.
Meanwhile, R. Bhansole, superintendent, HSP said, “We have tried to implement as many measures as possible to lessen the number of accidents and to help victims. However, it has not been possible to implement all the measures recommended by the committee”.
The committee has observed that since their recommendations have not been implemented, the number of accidents cannot be prevented. It has been observed that 83 per cent of accidents occur due to the negligence of the drivers, while six per cent of the accidents are caused by the negligence of the pedestrians. The poor condition of the roads causes 4.6 per cent, technical faults in the vehicles cause 3.6 per cent, and only 2.8 per cent are caused by bad weather.