The chairman of the Supreme Court-constituted Road Safety Committee, Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre, held a crucial review meeting with district officials in Coimbatore on Monday, highlighting the nation's alarming road accident statistics and the urgent need for public cooperation.
National Crisis: 25 to 50 Accidents Every Hour
In an exclusive conversation with the Times of India, Justice Sapre revealed a grim national picture. He emphasized that at least 25 to 50 accidents occur across India every single hour. This staggering frequency underscores a deep-rooted public safety crisis that demands immediate and sustained action from both authorities and citizens.
Justice Sapre stressed that official responsibility must be complemented by public awareness. "Official responsibility and public awareness should go hand in hand," he stated. He warned that without active public coordination in adhering to traffic rules, all efforts undertaken by government officials would ultimately prove ineffective.
Pushing for Zero Fatalities: A Concrete Target
An official from the Coimbatore district administration, who attended the meeting, provided further details. The official noted that Justice Sapre applauded the efforts made by various department officials in the district. However, the chairman set a clear and ambitious goal: to reduce fatal accidents.
Currently, fatal accident figures in many regions remain in the three-digit range. Justice Sapre insisted on a concerted drive to first bring this number down to two digits, with the ultimate objective of achieving zero fatalities on the roads.
Appreciation for Awareness Campaigns and Future Directives
The review meeting also saw detailed presentations on ongoing awareness initiatives. Justice Sapre specifically appreciated campaigns conducted in educational institutions, which focus on mandating practices like helmet-wearing. He also acknowledged the value of frequent public campaigns designed to instill road safety discipline among all users.
This meeting follows a similar review session chaired by Justice Sapre on November 29. In that earlier meeting, he had suggested that officials enforce stricter regulations, including imposing penalties for traffic violations to deter reckless behavior.
The consistent message from the Supreme Court committee is clear: tackling India's road safety epidemic requires a dual-pronged strategy of stringent enforcement by authorities and a conscious, rule-abiding commitment from every road user. Coimbatore's review is part of this larger national mission to make roads safer for everyone.
