Case For Road Safety

With their rampant growth in frequency and severity, road accidents have become a matter of grave concern in Nepal. They are taking more lives annually than floods, landslides and plane crashes combined. While almost every developing country has managed to significantly curb the accident rate over time, the case in Nepal is starkly different, necessitating a lot of effort in this direction. Only on Wednesday, at least seven persons were killed in a road accident in Dhading district. A total of 2,320 people lost their lives in road traffic accidents in Nepal in a year to April 2023, while 28,856 people were injured with many sustaining permanent disability, according to the Traffic Police data. Worryingly, it also shows that females and males aged 15-24 years are more prone to road accidents. What factors are contributing to making our roads dangerous to travel on?

First is their pathetic state of affairs. A road built with inadequate engineering is a recipe for accident. Such a substandard road frequently caves in or is blocked or damaged in the event of natural hazards like landslide or floods, or when heavy vehicles ply it. Because the country is prone to monsoon-induced disasters, many of our roads remain in a state of disrepair most of the time. The Road Department must take the matter of making them safe with utmost urgency and roll out measures. Of many ways, one is to adequately install traffic lights alongside nighttime lights that not only properly illuminate roads but also gives the wide vision of distant things on the road like traffic signs and sensitive areas. Roadways must also have features that help drivers and pedestrians stay alert, especially in settings where crashes are common.

Second is reckless driving. Many a times a driver's split-second decision plays a decisive role in causing or preventing an accident. That means a mind on the driver's seat must be able to keep a thought that distracts it away from source of potential dangers around – such as oncoming vehicle or a pedestrian crossing a road – at bay. So by no means must s/he drive under the influence of judgment-impairing substances like alcohol or drugs. It is also imperative that they have a good eyesight. Talking on mobile while driving is something that needs to be utterly avoided. Use Traffic rules and laws must be effective in ensuring these. 

Road accidents in the Kathmandu Valley have taken a sharp plunge thanks to traffic police's crack down on drunk driving. Similar strict measures must be put in place elsewhere to prevent careless driving. Making roads safe is a shared responsibility, after all. Every road user, from pedestrian to drivers to passengers, must do their bit. That such accidents are claiming lives of those in economically productive age is deeply worrying. How will a family cope when it loses its sole bread winner to a road accident? 

Or how will it scrap together a hefty sum of money to treat its member left mutilated, paralysed or with life-threatening injuries by such an accident? And, on emotional part, the shock of losing a loved one is overwhelming. To inculcate road safety mindset, awareness programmes should be instilled in a student right from the primary school. The other day Associated Press (AP) featured a story underscoring how a city in the US state of New Jersey has had no traffic death in seven years. Learning a thing or two from good examples like this can also be a good idea.