Measures Taken to Reduce Road Accidents
The figures of road accidents are bound to scare anyone using roadways for frequent travel. However, the officials were able to pull these figures down by a whopping 4% in the year 2017 as compared to the previous year. Here are few reasons which helped to reduce the number of Road Accidents in the country:
#1 Strict Rules
Various amendments have been made to The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 in order to improve the on-road safety of commuters. Obtaining documents like learning and driving license have been automated. Emphasis has been put on buying insurance for a vehicle. If a person fails to abide by these rules, he/she has to face heavy fines and/or imprisonment.
#2 Heavy Fines
In order to reduce violations of traffic rules, the officials are now imposing heavy motor vehicle fines on the violators. As compared to the past, violators now have to pay more than double the fine amount for an offense. Some cases like repeated drunk driving can attract strict penalties like confiscation of driving license, fine of Rs. 10000 and 3 years of imprisonment.
#3 Use of Speed Detection Devices
As said earlier, over speeding is one of the major reasons for road accidents in India. Vehicles colliding with other vehicles or objects proves to be fatal for the driver as well as passengers. To reduce this possibility, police officers have started using speed detection devices in some Indian states.
The device accurately measures the speed at which a vehicle is traveling. If the speed is over and above the prescribed limit, the driver is booked for over speeding. According to the new traffic rules, one has to pay a fine ranging from Rs. 1000 to 2000 depending on the type of vehicle for over speeding.
#4 Safety Measures
This is the basic thing a person can do to reduce the chances of a road accident. Wearing seat belts in a car or a helmet while commuting on a bike can prove to be life-saving. Officials have taken to social media to educate people about important safety measures and do’s and don’ts to avoid road accidents. As an impact, many commuters have started taking small steps towards following rules and taking safety measures.
#5 Reducing Corruption
Another reason for increasing traffic violations was that the rules and regulations were not imposed in a proper manner. The rules only existed on paper. Due to some corrupt officials, it was difficult to reduce violations.
With the introduction of E-challan and almost no use of cash for the payment of traffic violation fines, combined with increased penalties, corruption has started reducing.
Also, read: Do’s and Don’ts While Driving on Indian Roads During Diwali
The Bottom Line
With a population of 1 Billion people in our country and a police force of less than 200 per lakh persons, it will take time for the officials to curb the number of road accidents. But, the ray of hope lies in following rules, taking safety measures and in not paying a bribe to avoid challan.
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