200 lives are lost on Ahmedabad's roads every year

Accidents mostly are consequences of negligence or even rash behaviour on roads, which people can definitely steer clear of by driving responsibly and in a disciplined manner. This is all the more poignant in face of the fact that close to 10% of road accident victims in the city end up losing their lives.

In fact, every year on an average Ahmedabad loses over 200 people to fatal road mishaps, revealed data released by the city traffic police. In fact, 2012 was the deadliest year for the city as far as death due to accidents was concerned. Against an average 9% to 11% death, 2012 saw a death rate of 13.5%. Of the 1,850 accidents that were recorded for the year, 251 lost their lives.

Interestingly, this was also the year when the least number of accidents were recorded vis-à-vis the last four years.

Traffic officials and those working to create awareness about better road behaviour claim that that the accidents and resulting casualties can be brought down considerably if drivers paid more attention to traffic rules and followed traffic safety procedures. “Helmets, for example, can prevent a high number of casualties. Yet, few bother to invest in good helmets. Even when worn, drivers don’t buckle it properly. It seems as if two-wheeler drivers wear helmets to escape police rather than head injury,” lamented HG Patel, additional CP, traffic.

In fact, he adds that of the 20% drivers who bother to wear a helmet, half of them wear poor quality helmets and that too improperly. The cop further claimed that the fate of seat-belts is no better.

“When a car that is being driven at a speed of 35 km, suddenly employs brakes, it can cause serious injuries if the driver is not wearing a seat-belt,” he explained.

So agrees, road-safety consultant Amit Khatri, who laments that in the city people know how to drive, but only a handful actually know how to drive correctly. “We don’t follow the concept of giving way. For us it is always about taking way. On several occasions when people drive on the wrong side and get away with it, they begin to think that this is the right way and there’s no danger associated with their act!” Khatri claimed.

Another interesting aspect the data revealed is that since 2008, the overall death rate due to accidents has seen a steady decline in the state. This, despite the steady climb registered in the number of deaths due to accidents across the country.

In 2008, Gujarat had a death rate of 30.4 against a national average of 28.4. By 2012, this had come down to 28.6 even as that of the country climbed to 31.6. 108 officials believe that it is imperative to seek professional help in transferring accident victims as this can make a life-death difference. “It is better to wait for 108 service or ambulance instead of transferring patients to a vehicle that is not equipped to handle such situations,” said Jashvant Prajapati, COO of GVK EMRI 108 service, Gujarat. The service on an average handles 300 accident cases in the city everyday.

Patel said on the highways high-speed, tiredness, and drunken driving are some of the factors leading to accident. He further said that Gujarat, which has better roads, sees more overtaking, often from the wrong side, particularly on the highways. Khatri believes that upping traffic fines can be a good deterrent to begin with. “For example, when one has to shell out Rs500 instead of Rs50 for a traffic offence, the offender will be more careful not to break the rules the next time.

Spreading awareness about ‘traffic furniture’ as to why they are placed on the roads and what purpose they serve will also help,” Khatri added.