4th May 2022 11:05:PM Editorials
Eastern Sentinel Arunachal News

A few days back, I pulled up behind a queue of cars, as the Itanagar capital police was conducting a checking drive, but this writer was immediately allowed to proceed, as I was among the very few drivers wearing seat belts. It is shocking how brazenly the general public flouts rules even those meant for their own safety. A record one-day penalty of over rupees 3 lakh collected by the Itanagar Capital Police in late April for Motor Vehicle Act violations in Itanagar, is indicative of the total disregard towards rules and safety norms.
Arunachal Pradesh has incidents of road accidents much above the national average, which to most doesn’t come as a surprise given the blatant disregard for traffic rules. Road Safety and adherence to traffic rules are non-issues here. The number of road accidents across Arunachal Pradesh in 2019 was 237. Traffic discrepancies have been cited as the major source of death, injury and damage to property every year. In 2019, over-speeding of vehicles was the main reason for road accident casualties. India had ranked first out of 200 countries reported in the World Road Statistics that year for the number of road accident deaths.
It cannot be reiterated enough that adhering to safety rules can greatly reduce the road accident cases in the state. Simple acts such as wearing helmets and seat belts can make all the difference. Despite knowing these facts, the majority of the public still willfully wish to ignore the rules.
While the random checking drives do work, however, it is not the solution. The police and administration must have a long-term plan to weed-out such unacceptable behaviour and work on creating public awareness. A chapter on road etiquette can be aimed especially at students in schools and educational institutions to bring about the desired change. Also, consistency is a must if change has to be brought about. A few years back, there was much pressure to get vehicles fitted with high-security registration plates. While a significant population did follow the caveat, even to this day, a large number of vehicles are plying on the roads without complying with the mandatory HSRP order. The administration must accept that its own slackness is also adding to its headache.


Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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