17 February 2020, 11:53 am

Accidents and Injuries Caused by Bad Road Conditions

By Raghav Chhetri · Historical Archive

Accidents and Injuries Caused by Bad Road Conditions

Pakyong, 17 Feb : Traffic collisions in India are a major source of deaths, injuries and property damage every year. Accidents on roads be it major or minor are exponentially increasing in Sikkim due to a number of factors like condition of road, population of vehicles, drunk and drive cases, over speeding, avoiding usage of seatbelts and helmets, not adhering to traffic and safety rules, youngsters rash driving, and low visibility especially in the foggy winters. Just recently we heard the chilling news of near collision of a truck and a school bus School Bus at Samdur,7th Mile Ranipool where the truck driver saved the bus full of school children was overtaking by skidding off road. even though all children are safe, and no casualties reported these accidents are preventable if we understand the major cause of accidents that are happening and can be further prevented.

What are the types of Bad Road Conditions?

Potholes: a lot of accidents can occur when tar and asphalt are missing in large chunks from the road.

Rain or hailstones: ?Rain is said to be asphalt and tar?s worst enemy as water penetrates the tar layer and enters the base material, this weakens the tar and asphalt and cause depression?on roads.

Pavement drop-off: A drop-off region can present a serious danger to drivers.

Temporary fixes: temporary fixes of roads before they are resurfaced, can be dangerous.

Construction work zones: uneven roads and lane shifts are some of the issues involved in construction areas.

Slippery road: Slippery surfaces cause hydroplaning in tires to occur.

Poorly maintained roadways cause accidents in a variety of ways, mostly due to the fact that they create an enormous hazard to drivers. In many instances, a driver may attempt to avoid a certain situation, like a pothole or pooling water which could cause a serious accident.

What can be done to address road traffic injuries

Road traffic injuries can be prevented. Government needs to take action to address road safety in a holistic manner. This requires involvement from multiple sectors such as transport, police, health, education, and actions that address the safety of roads, vehicles, and road users.

Effective interventions include designing safer infrastructure and incorporating road safety features into land-use and transport planning, improving the safety features of vehicles, improving post-crash care for victims of road crashes, setting and enforcing laws relating to key risks, and raising public awareness. Authority must take some measure to stop practice of keeping vehicle along narrow NH10 when it goes technical glitch or unavoidable reason the design of roads can have a considerable impact on their safety. Ideally, roads should be designed keeping in mind the safety of all road users. This would mean making sure that there are adequate facilities for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. Measures such as footpaths, cycling lanes, safe crossing points, and other traffic calming measures can be critical to reducing the risk of injury among these road users.

Vehicle Fitness

Under the provision of Motor Vehicle. Act. The registrations of vehicle is treated as valid only if the vehicle have valid certificate of fitness. In case of Private Vehicles the fitness certificates is valid for 15 years and thereafter for every 5 years and in case of Commercial vehicles the fitness certificates is issued for new vehicle for 2 years and subsequently renewed for one year.

Physical Fitness for Safe Driving

Much of being a safe driver is being fit to drive in the first place and knowing when this is the case.

When we discuss driver fitness we tend to refer to sobriety, fatigue, eyesight etc - all those conditions that might impact on the ability to see, think, and move well enough to safely operate a vehicle.

Physical fitness is used in two close meanings: general fitness and specific fitness. A driver must: see and hear clearly synthesize different types of information right away act quickly and decisively

Drivers who monitor and keep track of changes in their eyesight, physical fitness and reflexes may be able to adjust their driving habits so they stay safe on the road.

Sikkim is nestled in the midst of Himalayas and falls under the hilly terrain which makes it more complicated to drive to driving in the plain areas. Driving in the hilly region is a more complicated task and should be undertaken by good, experienced drivers. The design of roads are different in hills as compared to plains, it has many highs, lows and turns.

The following are some of the actions which may help in improving road safety awareness:

Stricter Driving Licensing Tests , Long Driver Probationary Periods, Heavy Fines for breeches of road rules,Long Suspension of Driving licences for faulty drivers.