Statistics recently released by the National Crime Records Bureau, reveals that almost 41,000 people in the 15-29 age groups lost their lives in India in road accidents in 2010. Deaths in the 30-44 age groups were higher at 47,000. This death rate reveals two things: one the youth love to speed and they form a majority in our country. Indeed, the 15-29 age group accounts for almost 50% of the population.
In accordance with this age profile, it is not surprising that their popular mode of transport, the two-wheeler accounts for maximum number of deaths in Mumbai: 139 of the 782 deaths in the city last year were due to two-wheelers. Cars, which do not account for the majority of the city’s total transport grid, claimed 105 lives in the same period.
In Mumbai, 98% of the population walks on the roads, even if they have a personal vehicle – be it a bike or a car at home. Roads are thus the chosen path of the people. Yet, pedestrians are the most vulnerable to road accidents. In Mumbai, the figure stood at 292 pedestrian deaths last year. Nationally, 9.1% of the victims are pedestrians. The World Bank started a safe road initiative last year, stating that India accounted for 15% of the world’s road fatalities even though it has just 1% of the world’s motor vehicles.
The need to check road accidents cannot be underlined enough. The people most affected by road accidents are in their most productive years. Accidents disable them, robbing them of their productivity. Their deaths emotionally cripple the family. Experts underline the need for better planned roads. If cars are driven at 50 kmph, there is an 80% chance of a fatal accident on collision. If the speed is reduced to 30%, the fatality rate comes down by 20%. The separation of traffic on arterial roads and clear and continuous pedestrian paths on all arterial roads is needed. Planners must design roads not for cars, but for the many people who walk on it.