A 30-year-old man from Assam reportedly lost his life in a self-accident at Cortalim while riding a two-wheeler on his way to Verna. It is observed that of late there has been a steady rise in the number of self-accidents occurring on Goan roads, many of them ending in fatalities. Such accidents normally take place when the rider or driver loses control of the vehicle.
A self-accident on the road generally refers to a single-vehicle accident where the injuries sustained or fatality by the occupants are solely due to their own actions or negligence, without the involvement of another vehicle. The reasons for such accidents could be speeding, distracted driving, drunk driving, reckless driving, fatigue and ignoring traffic rules among other reasons. External factors include poor road conditions including pot-holed roads, bad road-engineering and poor street-lighting. Presence of debris and stray cattle on the road can also lead to self-accidents. Mechanical problems with the vehicle like defective brakes, old tires, etc. can lead to accidents. In the rainy season slippery road conditions can also be a contributing factor. Lack of safety gears like non-use of helmets and seat-belts can even lead to fatalities.
In the case of self-accidents no one else is to be blamed besides self. However the reason behind frequent self-road accidents on a particular stretch of the road needs to be investigated by the concerned authorities and corrective measures need to be taken in order to prevent further accidents.
