Petition for a stronger national road safety law gathers over 1.4 lakh supporters

NEW DELHI - July 23, 2014 - PRLog -- New Delhi, 23 July 2014: Road Accidents - an issue that has killed over 1 million people in the last decade and injured over 5 million has finally begun to get the attention it deserves in India. On June 4^th, Jyoti Gupta, who lost her three-year old daughter Lineshya and husband Dr. Pankaj Gupta, in a road accident, filed a petition with SaveLIFE Foundation, an independent Road Safety think tank, on Change.org urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to introduce a national road safety law in the country. The petition has gathered over 1.4 lakh supporters so far – the same number of people who are dying every year due to this epidemic.

As per the National Crime Records Bureau report 2013, almost 15 people die every hour in road accidents. Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Karnataka have accounted for 11.4%, 11.3%, 10.7%, 9.6%, 7.1% and 6.6% respectively of total ‘Road Accident’ deaths in the country.

Piyush Tewari, Founder and CEO of SaveLIFE Foundation said, “Vulnerable Road Users are the most affected by this travesty including young children – 20 children (aged 0-14) die every day in Road Accidents in India. At present, the Motor Vehicles Act 1988 has no prescribed clauses for protection of children during commute. Additionally, there are no statutes or guidelines for protection of children on the road while not going to or coming from school. There are no child-helmet or child seats requirements in India and adults treating the child’s safety callously are rarely punished. We need to have an all-encompassing road safety law which protects and regulates all road users”

The petition urges the government to enforce a complete overhaul of the RTO system by mandating a centralized driver's licensing regime with a unique, biometrically connected license, making driver training mandatory, having stringent punishment for drunk-driving, over-speeding and rash-driving, provisions for protection of children, cyclists and pedestrians on the road, a standardized and scientific approach to crash investigation, fixing accountability for faulty road design and engineering, and establishment of a lead agency for road safety.

Many eminent leaders like the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan and Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari have come forward and addressed the need for a stronger legal framework for Road Safety.

About SaveLIFE Foundation

SaveLIFE Foundation (SLF) is an independent, non-profit non-governmental organization focused on improving road safety and emergency medical care across India. SLF combines innovative on-ground interventions with advocacy for stronger national level policies to establish a sustainable framework for Road Safety and Emergency Medical Care. In the recent past, SaveLIFE Foundation has been responsible for securing the ban on trucks from carrying protruding rods, responsible for killing over 9000 people in 2012 alone. Presently, SLF is advocating for a comprehensive and all-inclusive national road safety law including protection, from legal hassles, for Good Samaritans who assist injured road accident victims. For more, please visit, www.savelifefoundation.org