Gujarat: Goal to halve accidents on perilous path

AHMEDABAD: One of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) drawn up by the policy think tank NITI Aayog is to halve the number of deaths and injuries from road accidents by 2020. However, Gujarat’s accident figures suggest that this SDG will be difficult to meet by the deadline.
The death toll from accidents in Gujarat has been hovering between 7,200 and 8,200 every year for the past five years, with no perceptible downward trend.In Ahmedabad city, about 300 persons die every year in accidents. As many as 270 accident deaths have been reported in the first eight months of the year in the city.
Realizing the gravity of the problem, the state government did not reduce the fines for rash and drunken driving when it announced the new penalties structure for traffic violations. While the state government reduced fines proposed by the central government on a whole range of traffic offences, it retained the hefty fines related to rash driving and endangering the safety of others.

Experts say that while increasing fines will improve traffic rule compliance, other aspects of safety ought to be addressed to reduce accidents. These include installing dividers on every road, providing good quality roads, and ensuring that encroachments are removed.