Tragic deaths on highways…

Indian roads are supposed to be one of the dangerous place in the world (not that this blogger has traveled in any other roads to pass judgment!!. There is statistical support to the above).

WHO report says “Each year road traffic injuries take the lives of 1.2 million men, women and children around the world, and seriously injure millions more. The death toll is highest and still growing in low and middle-income countries, where pedestrians, motorcyclists, cyclists and passengers are especially vulnerable. In addition to human suffering, estimated costs of road traffic injuries are between 1% and 2% of GNP per annum in these countries. This represents a loss of approximately US$ 65 billion every year; almost twice the total development assistance received worldwide by developing countries”.

World Road Statistics (WRS) 2007 data shows that India has the second highest number of fatalities in the world. Total number of people killed in road accidents was 94,985, next only to China where 98,738 people killed.

Clearly something has gone wrong. The tragic deaths of young IT professionals yesterday are another pointer to this. Sometimes it is terrifying traveling on national highways. There is an urgent need to rein in the bus operators (in particular the private operators) who are the major culprit. They are mostly reckless. This blogger has traveled on these buses hundreds of times and observed them at close range…they really have a stressful job. As an instinct I always choose middle seat in the bus, survival statistics is higher! Some of these night journeys can be so scary that you have to say a small prayer, close the eyes and leave it to fate. It works. Many years back I was in Goa-Pune bus, we were asked to jump out since the bus was about to tumble down the hill! It was miraculous escape, the passengers had good laugh later. This blogger considers himself very lucky since looking at the statistics of accidents and the number of times this blogger has hit the road on long route journeys, I should be dead. It is a lucky streak I am in, sometimes I do wonder whether I am stretching it bit too far, considering I had some very close calls. I have seen maximum number accidents on highways through Punjab.

Recently there have been tremendous improvements in national highways, but some of the routes are still quite treacherous. People die in huge numbers on roads, much more are injured and maimed for life. It is sickening.