Recently, in September 2019, Motor Vehicles Act in the nation was amended and stricter penalties were levied on the Indian citizens for breaking the traffic rules. We agree that this was a sensible step taken by the government, which can certainly bring law and order on the roads while avoiding binging down the number of accidents happening on the Indian roads every day.
Data Says the Story
According to a profound study, approximately 150, 000 people in India lose their lives on the roads every year, caught in severe accidents. Indian roads have become manufacturing grounds for chaos and mishaps, which is quite a regrettable scenario. In such conditions, the opposition for current strict traffic laws is not a sensible step by the citizens. With the increasing number of motor vehicles on the roads every day, we definitely need changed and better laws in the current times. The previous Motor Vehicle Act was implemented in 1989. Traffic conditions have changed greatly then. The total number of cars on Indian roads then was 19 lakh, which has now enormously grown to 25 crores. We need strict laws to avoid deaths on the roads. We all collectively need to support these enhanced laws to make our roads safer.
Education and Awareness are Imperative
Given the fact that laws work more effectively only when the general public is made aware of the reasons and benefits of those laws, we need to talk and discuss the same. While the enforcement of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 is in process, we also need to make continuous efforts to bring awareness about road safety measures. This will not only help to improve the conduct of drivers on the road who would not want to pay unnecessary penalties but will also ensure the number of accidents is reduced considerably. Thus, it becomes imperative that road safety education becomes a part of the curriculum in schools. A very food example came on the forefront this year during Janamashtmi when a unique Krishna avatar, “Rider Krishna” was designed and circulated on the roads to bring road safety awareness and to promote the idea that people follow traffic rules diligently. This displayed a good impact of Motors Vehicle Act coming in force.
Also, the uniform implementation across the board which can definitely change the entire traffic scenario on the roads can only come by, if the VIP culture and bribing aspects are removed from this fabric. If these continue to happen, the intended benefits and results could see a huge gap.
Actual Impact Across the Nation
According to a recent study, the talks of the amended act and stricter traffic rule violation penalties have made a huge impact all across the nation, although the act is still not implemented in some states. A big difference is witnessed in compliance with traffic rules all over the country.
An NGO active in the field of road traumas conducted a survey on two routes in Mumbai and one in Delhi; both are busy metropolitan cities of the nation. They found that there is a considerable increase in the seat belt and helmet usage. A big drop in overloaded vehicles was also noticed.
To go by figures, there was a 13% overall increase in seat-belt compliance. On the Mumbai-Pune expressway, there use to be a violation by 82% of the drivers before the act came into effect, which reduced to 41% post the implementation. There was also a reduction in overloading on trucks from 13% to 3.3%, particularly on the expressway. In Delhi, the study found an alarming 80.5% increase in the usage of seat belts among bus and car drivers and a 10% increase in usage of helmets was recorded, which is quite encouraging.
This clearly shows that the awareness of Motor Vehicles Amendment Act has influenced the motor vehicle drivers positively and they are complying with traffic and road rules while avoiding the mishaps. They are keeping themselves safe in their endeavors too. These statistics are definitely expected to improve in the coming days leading to a massive reduction in the road fatalities in the nation.
We just cannot afford to lose any more lives on the roads in this developing nation. It is high time that we follow the traffic law enforcement, not just to avoid penalties, but also to promote law and order in the country. Uniform enforcement of Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, after all, is also a reflection of the holistic growth of the nation. To help the government in maintaining peace and prosperity in the nation, we must welcome the new rules instead of opposing them.
Footnote – While you are complying with the traffic rules to avoid traffics, there still are strong chances to meet the unforeseen on the roads. It is always a good idea to secure self with a comprehensive car insurance policy, instead of just the basic third-party liability insurance. The comprehensive plan helps you to secure the expenses you incur against the damages and hospitalization.