Traffic training be made compulsory in secondary schools: DOA

To curb road accidents, it is necessary to have compulsory traffic training at secondary school level, said Delhi Orthopaedic Association (DOA), which is also planning to give a petition to Delhi Government in this regard.

The Indian Orthopaedic Association (IOA) has marked this year for 'Road Safety' on the occasion of National Bone & Joint Day. The Delhi chapter of IOA is running an awareness campaign to highlight menace associated with road accidents.

"The theme this year is 'Road Safety Awareness' because of the alarming figures of death and disability due to RTA (Road Traffic Accident) which places a huge economic and social strain on the family as well the society at large.
 

"Data suggest that on Indian roads, there is one serious injury every minute and one death every four minutes. Delhi stands dubiously distinct with the highest number of traffic accident related deaths amongst all cities in India. Public awakening at large is the only way forward," Dr Anmol Maria, President of Delhi Orthopaedic Association, said.

Road transport shares 4.8 per cent of economical contribution towards GDP in India but the loss to the Indian economy due to fatalities and accident injuries is estimated at 3 per cent of GDP. On top of that, more than 52 per cent of road accident victims in India are in the age group of 25-65 years. Pedestrians, bicycle and two-wheelers account for around 39 per cent of the fatalities.

Sharing data on road accidents, Dr Dhananjay Gupta, Secretary of Delhi Orthopaedic Association, said, "Last year 2,199 fatalities were attributable to road accidents in Delhi, which is the highest amongst all cities in India. Compared to last year, there is 3 per cent rise in fatalities in Ghaziabad area alone."

"In NCR, the age group affected the most unfortunately is between 15 to 29 years. Over-speeding accounts for almost 31 per cent of the cases, 39 per cent owe to careless driving, poor weather conditions claimed 3.2 per cent cases and 1.6 per cent cases account due to drug/alcohol influence," Gupta said.