By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
DEHRADUN, 30 Nov: A highly engaging session on traffic management in light of the recent tragic accident in Dehradun was held on the second day of the ongoing Crime Literature Festival of India (CLFI) at Hotel Hyatt Centric on Saturday. Noted journalist and actor Satish Sharma, also the Editor of Garhwal Post, moderated the session. Dehradun’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajai Singh and noted social activist Anoop Nautiyal were the discussants. At the onset, Satish Sharma reminded the audience of the tragic road accident in Dehradun on 12 November, which claimed the lives of six youngsters.
He questioned the progress of the investigation and the role of the truck driver in the accident. SSP Singh explained that the investigation is underway, with help from independent experts and agencies. He revealed that the movement of the vehicle involved in the accident was traced through CCTV cameras for more than 10 to 12 km. During that period, the vehicle was driven at a speed of 60 to 70 km per hour, but in the last 500 meters, it accelerated to 130 to 140 km per hour before hitting a truck and then a police vehicle. There was no sign visible on the road during the course of investigation, indicating that the brakes had been applied before the accident. A bottle was found below the brake pedal, which might have prevented the application of brakes, but it is yet to be determined whether the bottle was there before or after the accident. Regarding the truck driver, Singh shared that the CCTV cameras indicated the truck was moving at a speed of only 20 to 25 km per hour.
Singh conceded that while accidents do occur and will continue to happen, this particular accident was an eye-opener. The police are keen to improve enforcement, have increased vigil and patrolling during night hours, and have taken strict action against drunk driving.
Nautiyal shared data indicating the grave situation in Uttarakhand regarding severity rates. In the past 10 years, more than 11,000 people lost their lives in various road accidents in the state, while more than 15,000 sustained injuries. He noted that the severity rate, which indicates the number of deaths per accident, is very high in Uttarakhand compared to the national average. Ajai Singh and former DGP and chairman of CLFI Ashok Kumar reminded that Uttarakhand is a hill state, and many accidents involve buses carrying 30 to 50 passengers, leading to high casualties when a bus trips and falls into a gorge.
Nautiyal emphasised the need to focus on the 4 Es of road safety: Engineering (Road), Emergency Care, Enforcement, and Education, which can reduce accidents by up to 80 per cent. He added a fifth E: Empathy, noting that the focus on these Es is currently lacking in Uttarakhand.
Satish Sharma stressed on the importance of good parenting as an effective means to reduce accidents, advising against easily handing over bikes or cars to children as soon as they turn 18 and allowing them to go out at night for fun.
Ajai Singh reiterated that enforcement is being improved in the district, and the government is keen to curb accidents. There is no shortage of resources for road engineering improvements, installing crash barriers, or speed breakers. A safety audit of roads is being conducted, and more red lights and signage are being installed where necessary. Night patrolling has been increased, and night checks for drunk driving are being conducted. The penalties levied and the number of licenses suspended indicate increased enforcement, but the population and number of vehicles have also risen. Nautiyal shared that while there were 4 lakh registered vehicles at the time of the state’s formation, over 35 lakh vehicles are now registered in a state with a population of less than 1.25 crore, including a large number of tourist vehicles.
Nautiyal also stressed the urgent need for a meeting of the State Road Safety Council, which has not convened in over a year and a half. The Chief Minister, who also holds the Transport Minister portfolio, does not have enough time to hold such meetings regularly.
