Road safety is as much our problem as the authorities’

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The deaths of former MLC Vinayak Mete and Tata Group ex-chairman Cyrus Mistry in road accidents within 20 days have put the spotlight on road safety. The government has started working on eliminating 1,004 black spots on state highways. These spots account for 53 per cent of accidents in Maharashtra, while speeding is responsible for 72 per cent of the mishaps.

The state government said that black spot elimination will be done in coordination with district collectors, superintendents of police and agencies that build and maintain roads.

CM Eknath Shinde had asked for dangerous road dividers to be removed. He also insisted that road safety be included in academic syllabi and there were points raised about being stricter on repeat offenders. This is at the government level, but no plan or project can be successful if citizens do not do their bit. Plain and simple - speed kills so cut it and stay within limits.

This has been stated so many times but even so, it cannot be repeated often enough. Helmets and seatbelts should be non-negotiable. They have saved countless lives and wearing them should be second nature to us. Lessons on road safety should become school subjects, ensuring that they become totally ingrained. Punishments should escalate with every repeat offence. Arguments and aggression with traffic cops should be actively discouraged and if people cross a line, attract heavy penalties.

Wrong-side riding and breaking signals need a large-scale operation, since two-wheeler riders are especially guilty of this, and heavy fines. In the end, road safety is about working in tandem. Authorities have the power to look at black spots and faulty road design; civilians do not but can flag them, especially on social media. This is two-way traffic (to use a pun). Let us ensure it flows smoothly.