Piyush Tewari, founder and CEO of SaveLIFE Foundation, said nearly 72,000 pedestrians have died on Indian roads in the past three years, indicating a dangerous trend. “To make roads safer for pedestrians, states urgently need to implement the Motor Vehicle Amendment Act of 2019, and in particular Section 138(1A) of the MVAA of 2019, which deals with pedestrian safety. Since pedestrians have the first right of way on roads, there must be mandatory pedestrian infrastructure for pedestrians, which must be included in the road planning phase,” Tewari added. All these sections or rules are formed to ensure the safety of road users and save human lives. Section 138 of the Motor Vehicle Act 1988 also empowers the State Government to enact regulations to ensure the safety of road users by prohibiting the use of motor vehicles on sidewalks and sidewalks. “In general, these deaths occur because pedestrians do not follow the standards to walk on streets or try to cross roads during traffic. Accidents also happen due to overvehicles,” Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday in a written response to a question from Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Brij Lal. Pedestrian deaths in the country occur mainly because people do not follow standards of walking and crossing streets during traffic, the Union government told parliament, drawing sharp criticism from experts who questioned the center for the lack of adequate pedestrian infrastructure. A pedestrian is a person who walks instead of being in a vehicle. Several Indian laws are in place to protect pedestrians. The ministry also said the government had not yet conducted a study to analyze the causes of pedestrian deaths in the country.
“In order to prevent road accidents and save lives, the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Act 2019 passed by Parliament focuses on road safety and provides, inter alia, for increased penalties for traffic offences, electronic monitoring of such offences, increased penalties for driving children, computerization/automation of fitness and driving of vehicles, testing, recall of defective vehicles, rationalization of liability insurance and payment of increased compensation in the event of an accident, etc. The amendment strengthened the law to improve the road safety scenario and reduce loss of life. However, no studies are available on why pedestrian deaths occur or have been carried out,” the response reads. Walking paths are for pedestrians – use them. You can use pedestrian bridges or subways to avoid traffic jams and fast traffic. “This is a ridiculous and absurd response, and although I am a member of the Indian Road Safety Council, I do not support it. We have not created the necessary infrastructure for pedestrians, and we still have the audacity to blame them for their own death. It is the sole responsibility of all authorities to create and ensure adequate infrastructure for safe pedestrian traffic. The world is moving towards walking and cycling as the last-mile mode of connectivity, and here we have legislators who have a fundamentally flawed approach to politics,” Soi added. According to police, 42% were pedestrians who died on the streets of Delhi in 2016. According to road accidents in India-2016, 10.5% of road users killed in road accidents were pedestrians. There may be places where walking trails are not available.
When walking on the side of the road, choose the side so you can cope with the traffic heading towards you. If two people pass each other, the one facing traffic must take the outer edge. According to police, 42% were pedestrians who died on the streets of Delhi in 2016. According to road accidents in India-2016, 10.5% of road users killed in road accidents were pedestrians. Although the fault has mainly been attributed to the drivers, we must take responsibility for our safety when walking on the roads. It`s always a good idea to opt for health insurance that covers your medical and surgical expenses after an accident. Here are some pedestrian safety rules you should follow. Using a crosswalk when the traffic light is green ensures your safety. When crossing, look around and listen carefully to traffic so that you can properly detect moving vehicles. According to Rule 15 of this regulation, no driver may park his vehicle near or on a pedestrian crossing, sidewalk or traffic light. According to data from the center in Rajya Sabha, a total of 23,483 pedestrian deaths due to traffic accidents were recorded in 2020. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown, the number of pedestrian deaths decreased slightly last year compared to 2019, when 25,858 pedestrians died in road accidents.
In 2018, 22,656 pedestrian deaths were reported across the country. Children are more sensitive to the dangers of the road. It is not only the drivers of the vehicles that cause accidents, but also child neglect and lack of awareness add to the cause of road accidents. Teach your child to walk on trails, encourage them to use subways, crosswalks, etc. If you do the right thing on the road, your child will follow you and stay safe in traffic. Although pedestrians are the most important part of traffic, they belong to a high-risk group on the road. To be protected from road hazards, pedestrians must keep the habit of using road infrastructure correctly. Subways, pedestrian crossings, pedestrian crossings, bridges should be used to cross the street. Shortcuts and easy ways to cross roads are dangerous and should not be used.
Here are six major laws out of three different laws that keep people safe on foot. First, the 1989 Highway Code. Article 337 of the Criminal Code deals with any thoughtless or negligent act that violates human life, punishable by imprisonment for up to six months or a fine, or both. If such a reckless or negligent act causes serious injury to a person, in that case the term of imprisonment is increased to two years, a fine or both. Stay safe and purchase personal accident insurance for additional accident protection. If you need to cross but a vehicle is approaching, make eye contact with the driver and see if they are willing to wait. At first, cross only when the driver gives a clue. There are also various indirect laws aimed at preventing vehicles from being run over at crosswalks. Rule 11 prohibits motor vehicles from travelling on walking or bicycle trails except where a police officer on duty permits. It is our responsibility to be aware of the vehicles moving around us in order to maximize safety. Section 336 of the Indian Penal Code of 1860 deals with the protection of the public from reckless or negligent acts such as premature driving or negligent endangerment of human life and safety. This article also provides for penalties such as imprisonment of up to three months, a fine or both.
Avoid walking on the road if you are not feeling well or if the weather is unfavorable to reduce the risk of accidents. You will notice white or yellow markings on the roads to improve drivers` visibility at night. When walking at night, wear clothing that can keep you visible. Rule 8 of this regulation requires the driver to slow down his vehicle when approaching a pedestrian or zebra crossing. A total of 131,714 people were killed in nationwide traffic crashes in calendar year 2020, up from 151,113 in 2019, according to government data. The use of headphones or mobile phones increases the frequency of traffic accidents, and the driver alone may not be at fault. Keep cell phones at bay when walking or crossing. Sveta Goswami writes about politics, urban development, transport, energy and social affairs.
Based in Delhi, it monitors government policy and proposes corrections based on public feedback and implementation on the ground through its reports. She has also covered the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) since its inception.
