Nagpur: Commissioner of Police (CP) Dr Ravinder Singal has appealed to Nagpurians to become ‘good samaritans’ and help road accident victims in getting immediate medical treatment and saving lives.
The Top Cop informed that the statistics show that 97 persons, including 12 women, were killed in road accidents in Nagpur from January to March this year. During the corresponding period last year, 61 persons lost their lives in road mishaps, he added.
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Saturday 05 Oct. 2024
In 2023, he said, a total of 294 persons were killed in road mishaps. Among the reasons for the Second Capital’s unacceptably high rate of road accident fatalities is the inability to get timely medical treatment for victims, he said, adding that most of the road accident victims could have survived had they got immediate medical attention.
As per the Supreme Court direction in 2014, the Union Government has issued gazette notification in 2016 that any person who is a good samaritan will be treated respectfully without any discrimination on the grounds of religion, nationality, caste or sex. He or she who informs the police of any accident involving a motor vehicle, or who has transported a victim of an accident involving a motor vehicle to the hospital, will not be subjected to any further requirements by the police or the hospital, and will be permitted to leave immediately.
No police officer or any other person, will compel a good samaritan to disclose his name, identity, address or any such other personal details provided that he or she may voluntarily choose to disclose his or her name, address, and name of the injured person (if known) to the police officer. Similarly, the police officer will not compel such a person to become an eye-witness in the case, and choice of becoming an eye-witness will solely rest with the good samaritan.
Notably, media reports have said that in a span of 91 days from January to March this year, 312 road accidents occurred in which 103 persons were killed.
Data compiled by Nagpur Traffic Police highlights critical issues of road safety and the urgent need for better enforcement of traffic regulations to prevent such unfortunate events.
A significant cause of the 312 accidents was attributed to dangerous driving, accounting for 77 incidents. Additionally, 11 accidents were linked to individuals driving under the influence of alcohol. Of the total fatalities, 91 were men, underlining the disproportionate impact on male victims.
An analysis of 312 road accidents registered in Nagpur shows that four-wheelers were involved in 131 cases followed by two-wheelers (80) and trucks (41). Due to rash driving, auto-rickshaws caused 15 accidents. The hit and run scenario is disturbing, with 18 accidents attributed to unidentified vehicles.
The data underscores the urgent need for enhanced road safety measures in Nagpur, particularly on NMC and NIT-managed roads, which are prone to accidents. Efforts towards stricter enforcement, coupled with improved road engineering and public awareness, are imperative to mitigate the devastating toll of road accidents on lives and livelihoods.
