We all know how difficult it is to cope up with a sudden loss of life of a near and dear one; moreover, if the person who died was the bread earner, then the lives of the dependents turn topsy-turvy. One of the major reasons for sudden or unexpected deaths in India are road accidents. The irony is that, most of the road accidents could have easily been avoided. In the following essays I have tried to discuss the causes of road accidents and also suggested some solutions. I hope you will appreciate my effort and also my essays.
We all know the traffic rules. We also know the consequences of not following the traffic rules. Still, the irony is no one follows it and by the time a person realizes his/her mistake, it’s too late. Now-a-days it has almost become a fashion to flout traffic rules. In the following Road Accident essay, I have tried to figure out as to why road accidents have become common in India and as to how we can reverse this trend. I hope you will like my approach and the essay on Road Accident.
Maximum people including me, believe in luck or fate but the problem is that, when something goes wrong, we blame it on fate, rather than accepting our fault. For example, if a meteor falls on one’s house and destroys it. It can be said that it’s bad luck because there was no way by which the person could have guessed its coming or could have done anything to protect his/her house but if you are going on your bike and due to some reason, your bike slips and you get a serious head injury. Is it luck? I am afraid it’s not, It’s gross negligence. If you would have worn your helmet, the head injury would have been avoided.
According to a credible research, most of the road accidents could be avoided or their effect could be minimised if proper precautions are taken. The issue is that maximum people are aware of the safety precautions and also traffic rules and regulations but they consider it (especially youngsters) cool to not to follow them. How this trend started and gained momentum can be a matter of debate but the fact is this problem has taken monstrous proportions and if something is not done urgently, then very soon things will go out of control.
I think no amount of rules and regulations can solve this problem. For this the mentality of the public (especially youngsters) needs to be changed. I think, this could be done by creating awareness among public through various awareness programs. Let’s hope that in the coming time better sense will prevail among the public and the number of deaths caused by the road accidents will come down.
Introduction
When we were young, we were taught “precaution is better than cure”, and so many other things like “one should help a person in need”, etc but as we grow old we almost forget these things and seldom follow them and by the time we realize that what was taught to us is really true and worthwhile, it gets too late.
Road Accidents in India
According to a data, around one and a half lakh persons die due to road accidents per year in India alone and according to a research most of the deaths are avoidable. Then the million-dollar question is, “why we are not avoiding it”? From where this idea, that wearing helmets and fastening of seatbelts is boring has crept into our minds, I am unable to answer.
I tried to find the answer to the question. According to my dad, films, television and media are one of the main reasons. Film stars and television personalities are shown indulging in irresponsible behaviour in movies and serials. For example, riding very fast on a bike without a helmet and with a girl on the back who is cheering and shouting with joy. Kids and young adults who idolize film stars and television personalities find it cool and try to imitate it in real life without realizing that what was shown in the movie was complete fake or special effect.
Movies like “Dhoom” and “Fast and Furious” etc have glamorized speed. Even bike companies in their advertisements emphasize on the speed of their machines. That is why fast bikes are a craze among youth. Every boy wants to own one these and every girl wants to have a boyfriend who has one of these.
Young boys and girls are routinely found racing on empty roads (sometimes busy also) and highways by the police. Normally they are left with a strong warning but the problem is that, it is not mending them.
Conclusion
Government and few non-government organizations have taken the initiative to educate the youths. Even film and television stars have come out and appealed to youngsters. Progress is slow but let’s hope that in coming time people (specially youngsters) will behave more responsibly and we will be able to control road accidents in India.
Introduction
We Indians are a great lot and are really great at discipline. Where it is written “no parking”, there one can easily find many vehicles parked. This is a very common scene in cities. The next one is more hilarious. In government offices one can find writen on the wall, “do not spit” or in Hindi, “Yahan pe thukna mana hai”. At that very place you will find lots of spits”. The silver lining is that, at least it’s not life threatening but not following traffic rules and guidelines could result in loss of life.
Causes and Remedies of Road Accidents
I think, this is the biggest reason of road accidents. We are aware of the rules but just don’t follow them. The most common rule which we don’t follow is, wearing of helmets and fastening of seat belts. This simple precaution can save us from serious injuries in case of accidents and it is easy to follow.
On should not cross a railway crossing when it is closed but who cares. It is common to find bikers and cyclists pushing their vehicles from under the closed bars. When asked for reason, the common reply is, “sir ji late ho raha tha”. I am unable to understand why one would risk his life, just to save 5 or 10 minutes. If you want to reach your office/home in time, then it is a good idea to move a bit early but crossing a closed railway crossing is not advisable as it could result in serious injuries or even loss of life.
Mobile phones have revolutionised our world but at many times they prove a big nuisance. It is common to find people chatting on their mobile phones while they are driving. This increases the risk of accident many times. It is not advisable to talk on the phone even if using hands free because one still gets distracted.
Listening to music or radio is also not advisable while driving because it can also cause distraction. If we follow all these rules (be in discipline), there is a good chance that we may never meet an accident.
There are many factors which are under our control but also there are some factors which are not under our control. For example, bad roads, bad weather, stray animals etc. I agree, these factors are not under our control but if we take precautions, we can minimize the effect of accidents in case they happen.
Conclusion
People need to be convinced that following rules and being in discipline is also cool and it is in their interest to follow traffic rules.
Introduction
We all are used to ignore statutory warnings. Be it cancer warnings on chewing tobacco and cigarettes or traffic warnings, like, “drive slow”, “do not overtake” etc. Normally our attitude towards them is that, they are meant to be ignored.
Actually, preventing road accidents is very easy, there is no rocket science in it. We just have to stick to basics but the problem is, who cares.
How to Prevent Road Accidents
We all love speed. This is why fast bikes and fast cars are in great demand. Even manufactures highlight the speed of their machines in their advertisements. When traffic police catch us speeding, then our standard excuse is, “sir, I was getting late for office”. I am sure most of us will agree to the fact that it’s a lame excuse. The solution to this is simple, “leave your house early”.
Sometimes we do it for fun (specially youngsters indulge in racing or stunts). I think they get inspired from movies and serials without realizing that what is shown to us is special effect and fake.
This reason is responsible for a majority of major road accidents. First of all, it is not a good idea to drink but let’s say, you end up eventually having few glasses in a friend’s party then under no circumstances should you be driving. You can ask someone who is not drunk, to drive or you can take a taxi etc.
It has been proven scientifically that alcohol reduces the ability of the mind to think and react properly. Therefore, doesn’t matter how confident you are feeling, you should never drive after drinking. Certain medications also cause the same effect on mind as alcohol. So, if your doctor has advised you not to drive after taking some medications, then you should avoid doing it. As by doing it you are putting your life and also others life in danger.
Most of us have never learnt driving formally (I mean in a driving school or by a driving instructor). Someone (normally relatives) just guide us a bit and then we think we are good to go. Persons (specially teenagers) who don’t know proper driving are at more risk than those persons who know proper driving.
This is why there is a driving test before one can get a driving licence but every one knows the reality. For few thousand rupees one can get a driving licence (without giving a driving test).
There are many who don’t have a driving licence at all and they continue to drive freely. If one is caught then he/she just gives a few hundred rupees to the concerned official and you are good to go.
Many accidents also happen due to poor maintenance of roads. For example, potholes, broken roads, open manholes etc increase the chance of accidents. Therefore, they should be taken care of, to decrease the chances of accident.
Conclusion
If one is careful and follows all rules and regulations carefully then many road accidents could be avoided and our roads will become safer.
Introduction
Accident by definition means, “an unexpected and unintentional incident, causing damage or injury” but in most of the cases accidents can be avoided, if certain precautions are taken. So, if we take precautions, it’s good for us and if we don’t take precautions then we ourselves are responsible for the consequences.
According to a data around 1.5 lakh people die per year due to road accidents in India alone. Of course, this number could be reduced easily but for that we have to change our attitude and start following traffic rules and regulations.
What Precautions should be taken to Avoid Road Accidents?
Normally when we are returning from day’s work, we are tired. There is good chance we may feel a bit sleepy. In that case one should never drive because the chance of (serious) accident increases. It’s a good idea to relax a bit and then drive or better take a taxi.
This one is a strict no-no. Under no circumstances one should drive after consuming alcohol. If some one does it, he/she is risking his/her life and also the life of others.
This rule is the easiest one to follow and has great benefits. This minimizes the effect in case of an accident.
This rule is one of the most leniently followed. It is very common to find people talking on their mobile phone while driving. Talking on the mobile phone causes diversion of mind and in a flip second one can lose control and that can cause accident.
Traffic lights are made for a purpose. If you jump a red light (no matter why), you run the chance of getting hit by a vehicle coming from other direction. Therefore, it’s a good idea to stop at red light and move only when it’s green.
No matter, how tempted you feel to speed up your car or bike after hearing the title tune of “Dhoom”. One should never do it because we all know that what is shown in movies is not real.
Sometimes people speed up to reach the office/house on time. For this, the easy solution is to start your journey a bit early.
Suppose you are driving in night and you want to turn your vehicle to the left, so you turn on your left indicator but your tail light is not working, so the driver behind you was not able to know that you want to turn and he hits your car.
This is a possible scenario. So, it’s a good idea to keep your car in good condition and get it repaired as soon as you find any faults.
The chances of accident increases by many folds in bad weather (rain, storm, snow etc). Therefore, one should avoid driving in bad weather but if that is not possible then one should drive very carefully and slowly otherwise he/she can get hurt.
Suppose you are driving on a lonely road and your car runs over an iron nail and your tire bursts. There is a chance that your car may flip or your car may get hit by another car. An iron nail was there on the road. You can’t do anything about that but if you had taken precautions like driving under speed limit and wearing of seatbelts, you can definitely minimise the effect of the accident.
Conclusion
There are so many things which are under our control and also there are some things which are not under our control. So, let’s do what we can do and leave the rest to God. With some effort I am sure we can bring down the number of road accidents.
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