In 2006, India took over China with the highest number of road deaths, and continues to grow – despite a heavily agrarian population, a smaller population than China and far fewer cars than many Western countries.
While deaths on the roads in many other major economies have declined or stabilized in recent years despite an increase in car sales, in India deaths increased dramatically – up to 40% in five years, to more than 238,000 in 2013.
A fatal combination of poor roads planning, weak enforcement of the law, an increase of cars and trucks, and a flood of drivers without proper training have transformed India into the world capital of death on the roads. As a fast growing economy and a giant population it increases the importance of India on the world stage, the increase in traffic fatalities is a reminder that India government still has difficulty maintaining and providing security for more than one billion people.
On the other hand, China, which also has undergone a number of cars burst, the road deaths fell during much of the past decade to 200,500 fatalities in 2013, as new roads separate the pedestrian cars from tractors and other types of slow traffic vehicles, and the government takes strict measures against drunk drivers and other violations of traffic laws.
Evidence of road accidents seem to be everywhere and it’s important to get a car insurance in India.
The roads and intersections in the cities usually shine with broken windshield glass pieces, and loads of shoes, bicycle seats and bits of motorcycle helmets. Reports of trucks and buses at high speeds are common in the newspapers, and it’s rare to meet someone in urban India that did not lose any family member, friend or colleague in a traffic accident.
The dangerous situation of Indian roads represents a “total failure by the government of India,” says Rakesh Singh, whose 16 year old son, Akshay, died last year hit by a truck out of control in Bijnor, in Uttar Pradesh as he walked the road to go to a wedding. The truck crushed Akshay in such a way that his father was only able to identify him by the shirt. The truck ran over another man and run away.
The problems in road safety have many causes, experts say. Often lack policing to enforce the laws or police accepted bribes to ignore them; the punishment for offenders is low, delayed or non-existent; and it is easy to get a driver’s license through bribery.
About the Author: Daniel Trevisani
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