It is learnt that a delegation of activists staged a protest in Goa against the recent ‘Hit-and-Run’ Bill passed by the Indian government and called for a rollback. As per the new Bill, if any driver causes the death of a person by rash and negligent driving and flees from the spot without reporting the accident to the authorities could be jailed for up to 10 years and fined Rs seven lakhs. Earlier, the jail term for such hit-and-run cases was two years under the India Penal Code. The new Bill came in the backdrop of the steep rise in the number of fatalities in road accidents. Truck drivers and bus operators across the country took to streets to protest against the Bill, which they termed as ‘draconian’.
The strike caused transportation disruptions in various cities across the country. The Bill does not differentiate between accidents caused by drivers of a luxury car or SUV and those caused by truck drivers. These truck drivers are daily wagers and drive for their livelihood and imposing such harsh punishment does not seem proper. Commercial vehicle drivers, often poor and illiterate, face heightened vulnerability. They work long hours, sometimes 24/7, making them susceptible to accidents. According to experts there is absolute apathy from the government’s side in terms of providing the necessary infrastructure to handle an emergency and road crash.
Installing vehicle telematics systems in trucks is crucial to protect drivers from being unjustly blamed in accidents. A dash cam, or dashboard camera, is a small video recording device that is typically mounted on the windshield or dashboard of a vehicle. It continuously records the view of the road and can provide invaluable evidence in case of accidents, disputes, or other unexpected situations. However, the primary obstacle lies in convincing fleet owners to adopt these technologies. According to experts if the law comes into force, then it will be important to have such a mechanism to safeguard the drivers in these situations.
