UN reviews road safety plan

India struggles to clear its image of being the accident capital of the world
ON APRIL 19 when the plenary of the UN General Assembly met in Washington to discuss road safety, the message was loud and clear: countries must act fast to save at least five million lives and prevent 50 million serious injuries during this decade.

While several countries have initiated efforts, which include advancing national legislation, improving surveillance and public awareness, to ensure road safety, the task before India is humongous. India is the accident capital of the world; one person dies in a road accident every four minutes, as per the 2010 report of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Over a million people were killed in road accidents between 2001 and 2010. Non-profit International Road Federation says India suffered a loss of Rs 1 lakh crore in 2010 due to road accidents.

Tamorish Kole, vice-president (north) of the Society for Emergency Medicine, India, says there are plans and programmes in the country to improve the status of emergency care for accident victims but they are not properly implemented.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE