The tourism season is on and so is the festive season. Data released on road accidents from January to October 2016 cuts a dismal figure. The RTO may have gone on an overdrive to enforce the helmet rule and other traffic safety regulations. But despite all that around 267 persons lost their lives in fatal road accidents during this period. Moreover, an astounding 148 bikers succumbed to road accidents.
The data of deaths doesn’t seem encouraging, given the RTO’s road safety awareness campaigns. Now that the festive season is on and the State is witnessing more tourist footfalls, the situation could get worse. Authorities will have to take serious note and devise ways to control road fatalities. Interestingly, for this to happen, work needs to be done from scratch. Road discipline doesn’t feature high in the RTO manual. If so, the roving RTO inspectors stand as a silent spectator to the many offences happening right under their noses. It’s time the RTO changes gear and follows a different approach to tackle instances of road rage and traffic indiscipline. How many times have the police intercepted a vehicle driver using the cellphone? Or for that matter, how many times have police managed to stop over-speeding vehicles, especially bikes? How about bikes or cars using halogen high beams at night which are not permissible under laws.
The approach to enforce the rules of the road need to change. That fear of being monitored has be driven into the minds of motorists all the time, every day of the year.
