The Safe Drive Save Life campaign which was launched on July 8, 2016 in West Bengal is a significant step towards inculcating a sense of safe and responsible driving among motorists and also to remind other road users to follow the traffic rules. It is also an effective step towards reduction of road accidents that causes deaths and injuries of many people. The sheer number of deaths caused due to road accidents every year in India is alarming and have led the authorities to take effective measures. The various state governments and the central government are amending rules and increasing fines to discipline motorists and pedestrians alike.
Roads take us everywhere. And everyone from VIPs to the common people uses them to reach their destinations. Traffic conditions affect everyone. Accidents are caused by many factors – poor road design, rash driving, immature drivers committing mistakes, jaywalking, jumping signals, etc. Special emphasis on surveillance through CCTV Cameras to cover traffic movement round the clock has become a key in monitoring accident prone areas. Initially National Highways& State Highways, all the blind spots & accident prone areas are being covered. Watch towers are being setup at all the blind spots and accident prone areas. These watch towers will be manned 24 Hrs. and will have surveillance cameras which will act as extra eyes for the cops.
Speed limits have been imposed at various sections, especially at accident prone areas and blind spots at highways to control erratic driving. Development of a user friendly traffic application is also underway to inform the user about traffic congestion on the roads, location of nearest petrol pump, hospital, police station, restaurant, place of interest, names of different roads, nearby places etc. For proper analysis of each traffic accident, four civic volunteers from every police station under West Bengal Police are being trained by Traffic Headquarters who will ensure accurate filing of accident related data. This will lead to better understanding of the cause. To improve monitoring of highways, each Highway patrol is being provided with a body camera & two sets of vehicle mounted cameras. Through this, the CP/SP concerned can monitor activities of Highway patrols under the irrespective jurisdictions.
To prevent the menace of drunken driving, additional breath analyzers have been provided to all the Commissionerates and districts in West Bengal. To reduce accidents at and around blind spots on State Highways and National Highways throughout the state, immediate short term measures such as removal of obstructions, providing sufficient lights, providing proper signage etc. are implemented. To ensure non stop driving and to minimize the chances of accidents, cut outs throughout the State on National Highways are being blocked and construction of underpasses has started. This is being done after consultation with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Illegal hoardings along the National Highways are being removed which distract drivers along stretches of National Highways.
Lane driving is one of the key features of responsible driving. Zig-Zagging through traffic leaves motorists in a vulnerable position. One misjudgment and that might result in a pileup. Moreover, maintenance of one’s vehicle is essential in reducing road accidents. Worn out or poorly inflated tires, broken headlamps or tail lights, and some other mechanical and electronic parts require regular checkups. And behaviors like not using indicators, driving at full beam at night unnecessarily, etc. also add to chances of accidents.
In an effort to detect the owner’s identification in hit and run cases involving unknown vehicles, the portal ‘VAHAN’ acts as a pathfinder. One can enter the vehicle registration number on the portal or send a text message to ‘7738299899’ typing VAHAN*space**vehicle number* and get the ownership details.
Road Safety awareness programmes are conducted from time to time in various organizations, which see participation of school children, drivers, and other stakeholders for reducing accidents. Collection of traffic fines are being carried out through Government Receipt Portal System (GRIPS) and website of traffic headquarters which has been integrated with the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) platform.
By Our correspondent
