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Road Traffic Digest No.

9
How to prevent Road Accidents
n broad terms fataIities on roads can be brought
down by:
[A] Preventing road accidents
&
[B] Better Post accident/crash management
Post crash management has aIready been
discussed in Road Traffic Digest No. 6. n this digest we
are considering the preventive aspect of road accidents.
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n simpIe words: By eIiminating or controIIing
the factors that cause road accidents
So we have to quickIy go through some important
causes of accidents. UnIess we know the reasons
properIy and cIearIy, we cannot treat this maIady.
How to prevent Road Accidents?
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AUSES OF ROAD ADENTS
[1] Human Errors : responsible in 85-90%cases
[i.e. mistakes or wrong judgments of drivers or other commuters]
Over speeding & Overtaking are the two major killers
,243 all human errors. 9ers being drunken driving,, Jumping
signals , sleep, erra9ic parking, dis9rac9ions, e9c
[2] VehicuIar Factors: responsible in 3 - 4% onIy
[e.g. failure of brakes or s9eering, burs9 9res, e9c.
[3] Roads & EnvironmentaI Factors: responsible in 4- 5%
[e.g. bad road surface, S9eep curves, Sudden narrowing,
Dangerous in9ersec9ions, poor visibili9, rains, roadside objec9s, e9c
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ou may not believe but it is true that in 85-90% cases
human error is directly or indirectly responsible for road
accidents
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we frequent|y b|ame hardware or the mach|ne we are
dr|v|ng |n, but the fact |s that |t |s the software, the dr|ver's
bra|n that |s the rea| cu|pr|t beh|nd major|ty of acc|dents.
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Remember!
W One singIe mistake or careIessness may prove
instantIy fataI !
W Except road accidents, we don't remember any other mistake, crime
or misjudgment in your Iife where there is provision for such a heavy
penaIty.
W Even the most dreaded diseases Iike cancer gives us some time !
you may argue that there are many other diseases where a sudden
death may occur Iike heart attack, brain stroke and the Iike. Deaths in
these conditions mostIy occur in oId age when the probabiIity of
being behind the wheeI is not much. WhiIe in road accidents mainIy
young aduIts are invoIved where T S THE NUMBER ONE AUSE of
sudden death.
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We beIieve beIieve that that it it is is the the attitude attitude of of citizens citizens and and the the
society society towards towards their their own own safety safety on on the the road road that that needs needs
priority priority in in attention attention and and reaI reaI need need of of hour hour..
"There is something wrong with our attitude
towards road safety"
n next coupIe of sIides we wouId try to expIain that we
[i.e. the itizens, Society, Government, Media] [i.e. the itizens, Society, Government, Media] are not
very serious about road accident in ndia.
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Fact No.1 : Road accidents cIaims 3.5 times more
deaths than totaI no. of murders in ndia
Every day we find more news on road accidents in
newspapers and on every aIternate day we may find big
articIes or editoriaIs on traffic reIated probIems
bu9 we urriedl go 9roug 9em wi9ou9 9aking muc
in9eres9 or jus9 9ake 9em as a bulle9in of sor9s.
W n 9e con9rar we 9ake grea9 in9eres9 in murder ms9eries of
our ci9coun9r we9er we are rela9ed wi9 9em or no9.
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Fact No. 2 : Road accidents cIaim 188 times more Iives
than terrorism in ndia [376/day vs 2/day]
"YET terrorism is a bigger deterrent as compared to road
accidents"
W just 2 deaths/ day due to bomb expIosions can stop us going to the
market or coming on to the roads .
W We discuss such terror incidents more seriousIy
in terms of time and TRP.
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- - on the contrary 376 deaths a day on roads due
to road accidents have no deterrent effect on us !
W Any death in terrorist attacks is 'news materiaI' for 24 X 7 and that
too for many days.
Yes, we agree it is required to buiId up pressure on the govt. to
take action against terrorism. On the other hand, giving
disproportionateIy huge attention to news on terrorism indirectIy
heIps terrorists to achieve their main aim i.e. arresting nationaI and
internationaI attention! Such widespread news aIso adverseIy affects
the country's economy.
Even a few who are injured during a terrorist attack or
communaI vioIence, get much better care or attention
On the other hand, dozens of accident victims may faiI
to get attention of even the IocaI authorities and are
treated Iike orphans
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Fact No. 3 : Do we react onIy to new stimuIi?
Death of 240 peopIe by H1N1 in ndia can create a
severe panic wave whiIe - -
- - Death of 1,37,285 peopIe every year in road accidents
faiIs to create any such impact!
What does it show?
t seems that we forget oId probIems easiIy irrespective of how major
they are and show our concern onIy for current ones.
Do we Iearn any Iesson from these tragic accidents?
PROBABLY NOT
Whenever we come across a tragic accident on roads
whiIe driving, we become scared and drive very carefuIIy.
BUT aIas, onIy for a short time! And after some time we
start driving with the same speed and styIe.
$imilarly, we do shiver on seeing some ghastly scenes of
accidents BUT only for a few minutes and after some time
we get on with our lives thinking it is a part and parcel of
life and can't be helped.
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esides 9is, in nex9 couple of slides we will also
clear some misconcep9ions abou9 road acciden9s
9a9 prevail in general public.
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Our Misconceptions about accidents: No.1
'Accidents are rare or it will never happen to us"
Don't think that this may never happen to you
Nobody knows who wiII faII victim to road accidents
next. Even VVPs, have Iost their Iives in accidents.
According to surveys aII of us have a risk for an accident
once in a Iifetime either as a driver, co-passenger or
pedestrian.
Our Misconceptions No. 2
'It is the price we pay for Technological Advancement'
W Then ELETRTY is the most wideIy used invention in
society but totaI deaths due to eIectrocution are 20 times
Iess than accidents.
W Do ou ever see a sensible adul9 pu99ing a finger in9o an
elec9ric socke9 u9 on roads w do people wan9 9o drive like
a rocke9 or make careless mis9akes and expose 9emselves 9o
danger.
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Our Misconceptions. 3
"My VehicIe is Strong!"
ou feel safer inside a car aving a s9rong me9allic bod.
However, 9is me9al is jus9 an ex9ra pro9ec9ion and does no9
permi9 ou 9o 9ake an added risk. Muc would depend on
9e mode of 9e acciden9.
f i9 is a eadon collision wi9 a similar or smaller
veicle, 9en probabl 9e s9rong bod ma elp ou. u9
9en, if 9e o9er veicle is eavier, or if i9 is a side impac9 or
roll over, 9en even a s9rong bod ma no9 save ou.
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Dear friends, 9e 9pe of veicle ou
ave an acciden9 wi9 is no9 in our
ands. 9 is no9 a bullfig9 were a
ma9ador can coose 9e bull of is
coice !
Depending on 9e size of 9e
opposi9e veicle ou ma be above or
undernea9 9e colliding veicle
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Chevrolet Cruz
TATA 8afari
Honda Accord
Mercedec
toyota qualis
BMW Z3
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Our Misconceptions . 4
'Concerned Traffic Authorities are mainly
Responsible for it"
n a majority of cases this is not so
u9 of 9e 9o9al acciden9s, 40% occur on igwas and res9
0% occur inside ci9ies. ou ma be rig9 9o some ex9en9 as far
as acciden9s inside ci9ies are concerned. However, on
igwas, our safe9 9o9all depends on ow sensibl and
carefull we drive. Tere is no 9raffic au9ori9 bu9 onl various
signs as precau9ions. No 9raffic policemen bu9 9e Almig9
punis us for mis9akes on igwas.
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Even in urban areas the roIe of traffic poIice is
practicaIIy confined to crossings onIy. Out of totaI city
accidents, onIy 10% occur at crossings. WhiIe 90% occur
in between crossings where traffic poIice has IittIe roIe.
So bIaming the authorities is not going to soIve
our probIem !
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Our misconceptions. 5 : 'No one can change our
destiny"
Some people believe 9a9 no one can cange 9eir Des9in
and everone as 9o die one da and in a manner predes9ined
b od. We also 9r 9o convince ourselves 9a9 besides
acciden9s so man o9er dangers are lurking in our lives.
t is a Iame and irrationaI excuse to cover up our risk-
taking behavior. t is up to us to mouId our destiny. t is
our attitude towards Iife that IargeIy determines our fate.
Our Misconceptions. 6 : 'Accidents are as rare as
occurring one in thousands"
Since driving is part of our daily Iife, there are Iots
of chances that we may meet with an accident. Suppose
you make it a habit to drive fast everyday of every month,
then according to the Iaw of probabiIity [1 in 1000], within
three years you shouId expect an accident. My dear, three
years is too short a Iife.
f you are Iucky enough, this accident may be on the
thousandth day, or it couId be on the very first day you
make a mistake.
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We feel i9 is oka 9o 9ake a risk in some si9ua9ions, e.g. in
order 9o ca9c a 9rain, in a medical emergenc, for an exam or
in9erview, e9c. u9 one missed 9rain is no9ing compared 9o 9e
irreparable loss our famil will suffer if ou are gone.
Human Iife is extremeIy precious and not to be
squandered away so easiIy. You have to achieve greater
things for yourseIf, your famiIy, for society and nation so
take care of yourseIf !
Our Misconceptions . 7 :
'$ometimes you have to take risks"
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We hope that aII this evidence is enough to make you
reaIize that peopIe are not very serious for road safety
at present and need to address this ASAP!
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So change in attitude is the reaI need of time and a
Iarge number of fataIities can be prevented if we
concentrate on this singIe factor of 'human errors'
controI controI over over aII aII major major human human mistakes mistakes on on roads roads
means means controI controI over over 85 85- -90 90% % of of fataIities fataIities (of (of
1,37,285 deaths) deaths)
S NW
"How to change the attitude of the peopIe"
Or
"How to make peopIe take road accidents
seriousIy about"
- - -Iook out for the next digest
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From the next digest onwards we
will start a detailed discussion on
various important human errors.
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You hate recelted thls message from 'Tsunaml on Roads
Organltatlon' as a art of an auareness camalgn agalnst
road trafflc hatards. lf ou flnd merlt ln thls message, |ease
foruard lt to our contacts
rom
Conscious Ci9izens, ndia
[www.9sunamionroads.org]
W For previous digests pIease visit:
http://www.tsunamionroads.org/rtd.htmI
or www.scribd.com or www.sIideshare.net
W To receive such digests in future pIease inform at:
consciouscitizensindia@gmaiI.com
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n future, besides road accidents, foIIowing topics wiII
aIso be discussed on this pIatform :
W How to decongest our cities
W VehicIe induced environmentaI poIIution
W Arrogance on Roads: Aggressive driving and Road rage
W PubIic Attitude towards traffic ruIes in the ity
W ProbIems of pedestrians
W Road traffic and gIobaI warming
W The economics of the vehicIes
W PetroIeum Subsidy: Right or Wrong?
W Biography of urban roads in ndia
W Traffic PoIiceman: ProbIems & haIIenges
W Drinking & Driving
S ZV

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