Road accidents: Fixing responsibilities
By: MIR BASIT
Road accidents, as we all know, are the biggest cause of deaths every year, as more people die on the highways than in any conflict or even famines. It is the tragic reality and despite the fact that so many people fall prey to the accidents, we seem to unlearn everything in quick spans of time and continue to make mistakes that lead us to such a scenario.
Rash driving, over speeding, unnecessary overtaking, stunt show casing, using mobile phones while driving, being impatient and most importantly not obeying traffic rules and regulations are some of the most common reasons for accidents in this part of the world besides mismanagement, bad road conditions, scandalous processes of issuing licenses etc.
It is a pertinent fact that most of the reasons for the accidents are of our own making and little bit of introspection, little bit of calm thinking can make a huge difference. We, as mindful citizens, must pay heed to the past experiences and obey the traffic regulations to ensure that we don’t fall prey to the next accident and we don’t even become the reason for someone else’s accident. All these faults lay on our side and only a handful of factors are in the hands of traffic manual imposing authorities, government agencies etc for which they too need to be taken accountable for.
We often see young, immature and underage children driving fast and speedy bikes and cars, owned by and, gifted to them by their parents. One is astonished to see how parents can express their love for their children by allowing them something that isn’t legal or even ethical. It is strange that how parents, who otherwise are concerned for their children, take it so lightly and do not even think their child might met an accident or cause one! Such love and affection which risks not only the life of others but of their own wards will need a new definition as it doesn’t fit in or gel with the definition of love and affection th world knows.
On the other hand, government institutions, concerned authorities are not doing their duty properly and therefore leave many loopholes in the entire net of safe driving, contributing its share in this matter. Apart from the lacunas- from issuing licenses to underage, untrained and impulsive kids, they have to be held accountable for deteriorating road conditions as well as faulty route plans. Raising awareness through different platforms is good, but what actually matters is the implementation of the same. People are aware how, through brokers and agents, one can easily get the driving license, despite failing in the driving test and what can be more dangerous than that!
Over Speeding, a common cause of accidents can be minimized to a greater extent by using speed meters as is the case in foreign countries which are dealing with the modern problems implying modern solutions. Another aspect is to check the fitness of ageing vehicles and tyres, where driver’s often get away by paying bribe. We all know how dangerous it is to drive through terrains and hilly areas, given the geography of our valley, and yet we see the authorities totally unplanned when it comes to regulating traffic. Here also, we can be smarter and can resolve many issue issues and therefore save many lives.
Author is pursuing Master’s in Mechanical Engineering.
