DEHRADUN:   As many as 1000 people, on an average, die in road fatalities in Uttarakhand every year. On an average 26 people die in 100 road accidents in the country, but in Uttarakhand this number is alarming 60 to 70.

The Damta bus accident in Uttarkashi on June 5, 2022 that killed 26 pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh has once again brought a spotlight on road fatalities in this Himalayan state.

What are the preventive strategies to save human life and making roads safe for travelling public?

Experts bat for scientific investigation of each accident, but the PWD, Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways also need to improve condition of roads by putting Crash Barriers along narrow bends, turns, and dark spots of accidents to prevent the fatalities in case a driver makes an error of judgment while driving.

Crash barriers and pronounced road signs and alerts on the roads have turned out to be a major preventer of road accidents in Himachal Pradesh.  Uttarakhand can also learn from this and undertake the task of laying crash barriers along the roads.  

The Ministry has asked Save Life Foundation to investigate the causes behind the recent tragic road accident in Damta.  The foundation will be submitting its report soon to the authorities.

But it is broadly agreed by the experts across board that the human error is behind most of the road fatalities.

But in Himalayan states like Uttarakhand, the steep terrain, narrow roads in  gorges and mountains make the road accidents all the more fatal.

The experts who recently gathered to debate the causes of road accidents in Uttarakhand say that the cause of accidents is not just the fault of the driver.

Experts give suggestions during SDC Foundation's Sustainable Development Dialogue Series 'Road Accidents - Challenges and Solutions in Uttarakhand.

Generally two reasons are considered for any road accident, driver's fault or overloading. The police investigation after the accident also focuses on these two points.

But, in reality every accident it not caused due to just these two reasons. The condition of the vehicle and the road and the conditions of the accident site are equally responsible for the accident.

If every accident is investigated in a scientific way, then we will not only be able to reach the real cause of the accident, but it will also help in preventing accidents.

The experts say  this in a virtual dialogue organized on the topic Road Accidents in Uttarakhand: Challenges and Solutions under the Sustainable Development Dialogue Series of Dehradun-based SDC Foundation.

Piyush Tewari, founder of Save Life Foundation, who was involved in the dialogue, said that the average death toll in road accidents in Uttarakhand per 100 accidents is much higher than the national average.

On an average 26 people die in 100 road accidents in the country, while in Uttarakhand this number reaches 60 to 70.

Tiwari said  all concerned stakeholders need to come out of this mind-set  that the accident takes place due to the fault of driver.

“We have to accept that no matter how skilled a driver is, he can make a mistake somewhere”. “In such a way, we should try that even after the fault of the driver, people's lives can be saved in the accident”, he said.  

Piyush said that by scientific investigation of every accident and adopting safe system approach, accidents and deaths due to them can be prevented.

Dr. Madhur Uniyal, Assistant Professor and Trauma Surgery Specialist, AIIMS Rishikesh said that road accidents usually kill people who are in their productive age.

In such a situation, these deaths not only harm their families but also the entire society.

It is a general belief that Uttarakhand has the highest number of deaths due to disasters, but in reality, a large number of deaths is  also due to road accidents in the state.

Citing statistics, Dr Uniyal said Uttarakhand is one of the highest ranking states in the number of deaths in productive age across the country and road accidents are a major reason for this.

Dr. Uniyal said on the basis of his experiences of AIIMS Rishikesh and AIIMS Delhi that Delhi has a large number of non-responding cases of accidents.

These are cases which require advanced health care. But such cases do not come to Rishikesh.

Dr. Uniyal says that due to lack of medical facilities on or near the spot, such injured people die before reaching the hospital.

Deaths in accidents in Uttarakhand can be reduced if there are primary trauma centers  to take care of accident cases.  Arrangements are made to reach the level one trauma centers to such serious injured at the earliest.

While conducting the program, Anoop Nautiyal, founder of SDC Foundation said there is an alarming increase in road accidents in Uttarakhand.

In the last 5 years, there have been about 7 thousand road accidents in the state and in these, about 5 thousand people have died and the same number of people have been injured.

Referring to the accidents in the recent past, he said if the primary health care system is improved and provides trauma services, then the number of deaths due to accidents in the state can be reduced.