What was a nightmare for the dream girl was an eternal lights out for a dreamy little girl and yet the country agonised over the misfortune of the former. The bias was evident in the way the story was reported. Headlines across the nation screamed about Hema Malini’s ‘serious’ injuries in a car accident. The grievous injuries to the occupants of the other car and the death of their child was almost an afterthought, an unnecessary appendage to the main plot. The perception of media houses that the public would be more interested to know about the number of stitches on the actor’s face rather than the plight of the family of the deceased is a sad comment on our society. It is a portrayal of prevalent VIP racism at its worst. And to be fair to the media they were just churning out what they knew the people would lap up, for ultimately, we get the news we deserve.
Some class differences are inevitable in any society . The rich and famous will always get more attention and better media coverage than the average citizen. But it doesn’t end here. Money not only ensures a better life style but also increases the chance to life itself. Photographs of the mishap showed that while the basic Alto was completely demolished the swanky Mercedes showed minimal damage. The well heeled can afford stronger cars with safety features which will ensure better survival in a crash. Two levels of medical care were available to the victims. Hema Malini was immediately taken to the posh Fortis Hospital where she was tended by the best in the business while the occupants of the Alto ultimately reached the state run Sawai Man Singh Hospital. It is a given that the rich can buy better and more efficient treatment which will effect the final outcome of a tragedy.
But empathy and compassion are free and everyone should receive them in equal measure. So it wouldn’t have hurt if the stream of dignitaries who had inquired about the MP ‘s welfare had also expressed their anguish to the bereaved family. Also although it would not have made up for their loss but an official announcement of an inquiry and compensation would have showed that the state cared for lesser mortals. Even though these issues are relevant, the problem which needs our immediate attention lies elsewhere and is of monstrous proportions. If with this incident we can not jolt the government out of its apathetic reverie towards road safety another opportunity will have been lost.
India suffers the highest number of road accident deaths in the world with an average of 15 deaths recorded every hour. In the past decade, more than a million people have been killed in road accidents and over five million have been seriously injured or permanently disabled. Though these figures are mind numbing even more shocking is the fact that they may be wrong. A Supreme Court appointed committee on road safety noted ,”India has the dubious distinction of leading the world in road related accidents and deaths but there is no coordination between the central and state authorities on the collection of data on road fatalities.”
The Planning Commission estimates that the socio-economic cost of accidents is approximately 3% of India’s GDP and an alarming number of families fall into poverty after losing their primary breadwinners. Also road accidents are the single biggest killer of young people, aged 15-45, in our country. Recognising the gravity of the situation the Honourable Supreme Court has called the problem of accidental deaths a “National Emergency” . The causes for the exceptionally high number of crashes include a fractured licensing system, insufficient drivers’ training, flawed road design and engineering, weak enforcement of traffic laws and the lack of rapid trauma care. The sole statute governing Road Safety in India, the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (MVA) has failed to address any of these issues decisively.
The Law Commission of India states that 50% of those who die on Indian roads can be saved if they receive timely medical attention including assistance from bystanders and passers-by. An astounding 70,000 lives can be saved every year. But in India, most people choose to remain mute spectators due to severe inconvenience and intimidation at the hands of the legal system. Even medical professionals are not spared from these legal hassles . Several countries around the world have laws to protect and reward Good Samaritans, average citizens who are often the first responders in roadside trauma. India needs to effectively implement the recently introduced Good Samaritan law which will protect and encourage people to help accident victims. Bystander care can greatly enhance the chances of victim survival in our country.
As news channels divided time between live updates on Hema Malini’s visitors and debates on road safety, Mr. Nitin Gadkari, was in the limelight once again. His intentions and reassurances sounded vaguely familiar like a rerun of an old news story. Last year in June, soon after becoming the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, when his colleague Shri Gopinath Munde had died in a road accident Mr. Nitin Gadkari, had promised a strong road safety law. He had averred,”In a month’s time we will draft a new Road Transport and Safety Bill in sync with advanced nations to replace the obsolete 1988 Motor Vehicles Act, and will introduce it in Parliament.”
One year and multiple failed deadlines later, a final draft is still awaited. Where as the initial draft had increased penalties and gave more power to the proposed National Road Safety Authority, it has now been severely diluted. Various proposals on road safety have either been removed from its ambit or weakened. Statutes to hold road contractors, truckers and rash drivers accountable have been watered down. Moreover, the Government has gone back on its promise of promptness by announcing that no deadline can be set for introduction of the bill.
The need of the hour is a comprehensive, all-inclusive national road safety law. There should be
stringent punishment for speeding, drunk, dangerous driving and violation of helmet and seat-belt laws as a way to keep serial offenders off the roads. Unless drivers are trained properly no amount of punishment can make our roads safer so mandatory safe driving training and transparent, centralised and efficient driver’s licensing system are required. Vulnerable road users like cyclists, pedestrians and children need to be specially protected. There should be strict regulations on Heavy Motor Vehicles such as trucks, buses and lorries against overloading . And because road safety is not confined to driving alone so stringent punishment for faulty road designing, engineering and maintenance is necessary.
The choice we have is either to wait endlessly for such a comprehensive bill to be drafted and passed or be proactive and build public pressure to hasten the process. We can do this by lending support to friends and relatives of accident victims who fight for stronger road safety laws. In the end it is imperative to understand that safe roads are possible only when we as commuters follow traffic rules. No fight for change can help us unless we are willing to change ourselves. The trudge to the promised land of obligatory driving tests and millions of CCTVs is bound to be long and arduous, but we can get there. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. It helps if the step is in the right direction and the road is safe.
( carried as an OPED in the Tribune on 13 July 2015)