An Epidemic Demanding Our Attention

The World Health Organisation’s ‘Global Status Report on Road Safety’ was released late last month. It is an ominous read for any Indian. We have gained the dubious distinction of having the worst record in terms of number of deaths due to road accidents in the world.According to official estimates, 1,14,590 people died in accidents on Indian roads in 2007 alone,which equates to more than 13 deaths an hour. The WHO report calls this an epidemic and rightly so! The death toll from road accidents is higher than any other epidemic grabbing headlines today. Beyond the grief and loss that victims’ families must suffer, the economic impact of road fatalities is staggering. One estimate puts the annual loss at an astounding 2.7% of GDP.

Epidemics call for aggressive & highly orchestrated counter measures. But in India we have yet to take the scourge of road fatalities seriously. Just having a think through the factors that contribute to these accidents can make one realise how little we do to prevent them.

Let’s start with how we learn to drive. Many of us opt for the neighborhood driving school. But who decides whether that school or its teachers are qualified? I do not know of any government agency monitoring this. Is there a government-approved training format, including traffic laws and safety measures, which these schools must follow? Not likely.

Once you finish your driving course you apply for a license. However as many of you must know,passing the test is not the key to getting the license. So now you’re ready to hit the road, without any knowledge of traffic rules and safety or even how to properly operate a motor vehicle. It’s no wonder so many of us crash!

Without any way to control the quality of drivers getting behind the wheel, law enforcement is the last step in preventing accidents. But how many of us fear the repercussions of disobeying traffic laws? A bribe or a phone call gets most of us off. The WHO report rates India very low in enforcement of even basic laws like wearing seatbelts and helmets. The policemen themselves couldn’t be bothered to wear them!

With so little done to prevent road accidents our abysmal ranking should not come as a surprise. But lack of prevention isn’t the only reason so many Indians die on the roads. Even if you survive the accident itself, your injuries may kill you long before emergency services ever arrive to help. Even the metros have very limited capacity to respond effectively to medical emergencies such as road accidents. The entire city of Delhi has only 35 government ambulances! Yet Delhi still has a relatively effective emergency response system because of the over 600 Police Control Room (PCR) vans available on the road 24/7 for emergencies. According to AIIMS Trauma Centre in Delhi, most accident victims arrive in PCR vans. PCR teams are also now receiving training in Basic Life Support through a joint initiative of SaveLife Foundation (SLF) and AIIMS. But what about the rest of India? Even in the center of major cities accident victims lie for hours on the side of the road, slowly bleeding to death before help ever arrives. Local citizens may try to come to the rescue, but often do further damage to the victim’s internal injuries. Others are scared to help for fear of being blamed for the accident. So if the accident itself doesn’t kill you, the wait for help just might.

Once you reach the hospital help may still not come rushing. Doctors have been trained to first take care of medico-legal formalities before attending to victims, out of concern that they will be made party to cases in which victims die. We must protect doctors so they can make every possible effort to save victims as soon as they enter the trauma center. But we must also ensure that emergency rooms are equipped and ready to handle this epidemic. Too many patients are turned away from our hospitals because basic medical equipment is malfunctioning or outdated.

The reasons for India’s deadly roads are outrageously obvious. It’s now time for government and citizens to take action. Education about the dangers of speeding and not wearing helmets or seatbelts needs to start at the school level. Teenagers in the United States watch graphic videos of dead road accident victims who had been driving drunk or speeding. I believe we are also in need of such a graphic portrayal of road accidents to ensure that our younger generation is very well aware of the risks they may be taking. The process of issuing driving licenses must be made fool-proof with video recording of driving exams to accompany the supporting documents for applicants. A National Road Safety Authority should also be set up with overriding jurisdiction over RTOs, Local Traffic Police, and Emergency Rooms to eliminate the lack of coordination in the current system. Finally, community members should be trained in Basic Life Support measures such as CPR and must be protected from police harassment if they help accident victims. That help could make the difference in saving thousands of lives before emergency responders arrive.

We—whether drivers, passengers, or pedestrians—are at serious risk of losing our lives on the road today. Unless we take serious action now, you or your loved one could be the next victim.

- Piyush Tewari

Piyush Tewari is the Founder & Managing Trustee of SaveLife Foundation (SLF) that is India’s first-ever initiative to combine community volunteerism with healthcare and technology to disrupt the high growth of road fatalities in India. piyushtewari@savelifefoundation.org.