While researchers in German research companies are hell bent on making the roads free of accidents, India is yet to tread its path in bringing in revolutionary reforms into the automotive industry for safety and smooth transportation.
As Europe has already made it mandatory to introduce ESP (Electronic stability programme ) installed in every vehicle and is pushing for bringing in ABS(Anti lock Braking system) to even two wheelers, India is yet to take the step forward for saving its own citizens.
It is estimated that even after traffic has increased significantly in the Europe and US over the past few decades , the number of accidents has dramatically reduced and the fatalities have also come down to a great extent after ESP has been made mandatory in all cars.
India did take a step to control its emissions by introducing Bharat Stage IV regulations in its 13 major cities but a similar kind of legislation to implement safety norms is missing. It rather indicates that India is ready to increase its fatalities in road accidents due to the blatant lack of road sense and care for rules but it is ok with saving the environment (emission norms).While crores of rupees have been spent in converting and bringing in new cars that are Bharat Stage IV compliant and refining clean fuel for the petrol bunks, We don’t spend a wee bit to save our own lives by introducing more safety related technology into our Indian transport.
Although there is no offense taken w.r.t the Bharat IV regulations but the need of the hour is to implement strict safety relevant technologies where accidents can be avoided . The way forward could be to equip the Commercial vehicles with ABS and Electronic stability programmes to reduce the highway death traps,which devour the Indian citizens with a voracious appetite.
It is high time that regulations are intorduced and legislations passed to put a dramatic end to the deaths which go unwarranted because of Indian traffic apathy.
May the authorities please look into this before one of our own kin becomes the next victim on the highways of India.Till then one does’nt feel proud to see that India is a world leader in the number of road fatalities .
