Endeavours of Ministry of Surface Transport

Around 70,000 lives are lost and about3.50 lakhs persons are injured on Indian roads every year. These apart from causing enormous misery and hardship to those affected. Inflict a heavy monetary toll on the economy. According to a rough estimate the total economy loss to the country on account of road accidents is estimated to be about Rs. 5000 crores every year which comes to about 0.5 % of the Gross Domestic Product of the country. This does not include the cost of pain, grief and suffering by the families of the victims.

The Ministry of Surface Transport has taken a number of steps in order to improve road safety in the country. These include widening and strengthening of roads, improvement of intersections, replacement of level crossing with road over / under bridges, provision of retro-reflective road signs and thermoplastic road marking and setting up wayside amenities on the highways for passengers and vehicles. The Ministry is also introducing amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act with a view to tightening the provisions relating to driving skills and fitness of vehicles including enhancement of penalties for various traffic offences.

On the educational side the Government has been undertaking various publicity campaigns to inculcate road safety consciousness among various sections of road users. These include publicity through print and electronics media like news paper, T.V. and radio, screening of cinema slides, computerised animation display, display on colour railings, advertisement through closed circuit T. V. system, distribution of calendars, tin plates, Road Safety Games, wall paintings depicting road safety messages etc.

Transport traffic offences

Mobility with safety is the guiding principle for the Meghalaya Traffic Police. To achieve this, the action plan rests on four pillars or ERER i.e. Education, Regulation, Enforcement and Road Engineering. Challaning (Enforcement) is the last priority and has to be undertaken as some road users violate traffic rules endangering safety of others.

Police officers of the rank of Sub-Inspector in Meghalaya Traffic Police and above are authorized to compound certain traffic offences. If a person does not choose the option of compounding or the officer is not competent to compound the traffic offence, challans are sent to Traffic Challaning Branch. A period of 14 days is given to the person to pay the compounding fee at the Traffic Challaning Branch. Thereafter, Challans are sent to the Court. Compounding amounting for the various offences is given in the table below.

Seat Belt Use at Record Level in 2008

More Americans are buckling up than ever before, Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters said Sept. 17. In 2008, 83 percent of all vehicle occupants are using seat belts during daylight hours — up from 82 percent in 2007, according to NHTSA. “We have seen seat belt use rising steadily every year and that means more and more lives are being saved and countless serious injuries prevented,” said Peters. NHTSA estimates approximately 270 lives are saved for every one percent increase in belt use.

ALCOHOL MISUSE

The primary objective of the controlled substances use and alcohol misuse program is deterrence rather than detection. Public safety is best served if drivers are aware of the effects of alcohol and controlled substances on health, safety, and the work environment.

Consequently, the FMCSA believes that educating drivers and training supervisors are
essential for these programs to be effective. Employers are required to provide educational materials for drivers training for supervisors prior to the start of testing

Furthermore, the FMCSA regulations and associated DOT regulations specify the involvement of professional and technical personnel in the administration of your alcohol and controlled substances program. These personnel include the medical review officer (MRO), the substance abuse professional (SAP), the screening test

Safety Belts Save Lives and Dollars

• In 2003, safety belts saved society an estimated $63 billion in medical care, lost productivity, and other injury-related costs. In this same year, the needless deaths and injuries from safety belt nonuse caused an estimated $18 billion in economic costs to society.

• It is estimated safety belts saved more than 14,900 lives in the United States in 2003. Yet, during this same year, 56 percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes were unrestrained. If all passenger vehicle occupants (over 4 years old) wore safety belts, more than 6,000 additional lives could have been saved.

• Research has shown that lap/shoulder belts, when used properly, reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent and the risk of moderate to critical injury by 50 percent. For light-truck occupants, safety belts reduce the risk of fatal injury by 60 percent and moderate-to-critical injury by 65 percent.

• Safety belts should always be worn, even when riding in vehicles equipped with air bags. Air bags are designed to work with safety belts, not alone. In 2003, an estimated 2,488 lives were saved by air bags.

Restrict passengers

Teen passengers in a vehicle can distract a beginning driver and/or lead to greater risk-taking.Because young drivers often transport their friends, there’s a teen passenger problem as well as a teen driver problem. About 6 of every 10 teenage passenger deaths (59%) during 2003 occurred in crashes with a teen driver. While night driving with passengers is particularly lethal, many fatal crashes with teen passengers occur during the day.The best policy is to restrict teenage passengers, especially multiple teens, all the time.

Graduated Licensing Can Help

Teenagers perceive a driver’s license as a ticket to freedom.It’s momentous for parents, too. Though they are oftenaware of 16-year-olds’ high crash risks, they’re relieved not to have to chauffeur their children around anymore. But the price is steep. Crashes are the leading cause of death among American teens, accounting for more than one third of all deaths of 16- to 18-year-olds.

An effective way to reduce this toll is to enact graduated licensing, under which driving privileges are phased in to restrict beginners’ initial experience behind the wheel to lower-risk situations. The restrictions gradually are lifted, so teenagers are more experienced and mature when they get their full, unrestricted licenses.

Graduated systems that are well designed restrict night driving, limit teen passengers, set zero alcohol tolerance, and require a specified amount of supervised practice during the initial phase. Graduated licensing laws have reduced teens’ crash rates in the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. But not all States have such laws, and the laws aren’t all strong.

ALCOHOL MISUSE

The primary objective of the controlled substances use and alcohol misuse program is deterrence rather than detection. Public safety is best served if drivers are aware of the effects of alcohol and controlled substances on health, safety, and the work environment.

Consequently, the FMCSA believes that educating drivers and training supervisors are
essential for these programs to be effective. Employers are required to provide educational materials for drivers (see Chapter 3) and training for supervisors prior to the start of testing .

Furthermore, the FMCSA regulations and associated DOT regulations (49 CFR part 40) specify the involvement of professional and technical personnel in the administration of your alcohol and controlled substances program. These personnel include the medical review officer (MRO), the substance abuse professional (SAP), the screening test