Rising Concern on Road Safety in Kerala

Road safety in Kerala is becoming a serious concern these days with the burgeoning population and increasing number of vehicles on the roads. As per the statistics approximately 361 people die across the country every day and 10 people lose their lives in a single day in Kerala. If we look at the root causes of Road accidents, it falls under 3 major categories.

1) Fault of Driver
2) Vehicle Conditions Related
3) Road and Environment related

Out of these the fault of driver related road accidents comes on top according to the data published by Kerala police for the year 2021. 60% of fatal accidents happened in 2021 are due to the fault of a Driver driving the vehicles. 16% fatal road accidents caused by Drivers driving other vehicles. So, the behaviour of our actions while on wheel saves lives of vulnerable road users. Road accidents claimed more lives than Covid-19 death tolls in many parts of India, which was overlooked by medias to draw attention of public.

If we further drill down the causes of Driver faults, we can understand there are many driving behaviours including reckless driving, over speeding, driving at dark hours, drunken driving, unfamiliar road conditions etc causes majority of accidents.

 Young drivers under the age of 20 are most distracted drivers according to many National Road Safety statistics, The Awareness of Safe driving among youngsters to be enhanced during preliminary education itself, law enforcement for repeated reckless driving needs to be stringent. Reward and reprimand programs on driving to be promoted from Authorities. There are many initiatives started from Kerala Police and Motor Vehicle Department to promote safe driving and as a result a downward trend is seen on Road accidents in Kerala over the years. While the authority’s efforts to be appreciated, an ongoing sustainable program from school levels to be included in the curriculum to enhance Road Safety awareness.

The primary cause of accidents on roads is the lack of awareness of road safety rules and regulations.
Following is some of the road rules that one must adhere to, to avoid accidents and injuries.

1. Keep to your left.
2. Stay left when you want to turn left.
3. Always overtake from the right side.
4. Be extra careful on intersections
5. Always give a right of way to vehicles on intersections
6. It is your responsibility to give right of way to emergency vehicles such as fire engines and ambulances on intersections.
7. Always use indicators to let other road users know about the change in direction of travel
8. Make sure you don’t park your vehicle in a haphazard manner.
9. Follow the posted road limits.
10. Optimize your vehicle’s condition.

There are separate rules and regulations for pedestrians, two-wheeler drivers etc, to help them stay safe on the roads.

Let us strive unitedly to follow and uphold rules and regulations to bring an improvement in the Road Safety behaviours and avoid tragic loss of lives.

Reference
https://pib.gov.in/
https://keralapolice.gov.in/crime/road-accidents
https://www.onmanorama.com/news/india/2022/05/25/fatal-road-accidents-india-report.html