With rising road accidents causing serious concern in Goa, the observance of Road Safety Week from today, September 27, is a timely initiative. One of its key focuses is the ‘Rah-Veer’ scheme, which seeks to remove the hesitation that often prevents passersby from coming to the aid of accident victims. Under the scheme, a ‘Good Samaritan’ who helps an accident victim is protected from financial liability for hospital expenses, unnecessary questioning by authorities, compulsory disclosure of identity and detention at a hospital. Such safeguards are important. But while encouraging people to help those injured in accidents is essential, Road Safety Week must place equal, if not greater, emphasis on preventing accidents in the first place.
A tragic incident in Goa on September 19 underlines this point. A 45-year-old woman from Mandrem lost her life after her scooter reportedly hit a poorly constructed speed breaker. Speed breakers are installed with the intention of making roads safer by forcing motorists to slow down. Yet, when they are improperly designed, excessively high, poorly located or inadequately marked, they can themselves become hazards. A speed breaker cannot simply be an obstruction placed on the road. Its design, height, width and gradient need to conform to prescribed safety standards. Its location also matters. A poorly positioned speed breaker, particularly on a busy road, sharp turn or at a place where motorists have little time to react, can result in sudden braking, loss of control and collisions. Speed breakers should be clearly painted and adequately illuminated where necessary. Warning signs should be installed sufficiently in advance so that motorists have time to reduce speed safely.
Road safety is not merely about asking motorists to drive carefully. It is also about ensuring that the roads themselves are designed, maintained and regulated in a manner that reduces the possibility of human error turning into a fatal accident. As Road Safety Week begins, the message should therefore be twofold. Do not hesitate to save a life when an accident occurs, and more importantly, let us take every possible step to prevent that accident from occurring in the first place.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
