Chennai: Ever wondered what the markings in yellow that depicts a person and the letters 304A on the road are? If yes, then the Chennai City Traffic Police have been successful in their endeavour to reduce accidents.
The markings depict the section of the Indian Penal Code that deals with death due to negligence.
It is to be noted that the United Nations General Assembly set forth a goal to reduce 50 per cent of fatal accidents on roads around the globe by 2020, as part of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety from 2011 to 2020. This was accepted by countries all over, including India.
In an analysis of road accidents and road safety measures released by the Tamilnadu government, it was stated that the number of deaths should not exceed 7767 (last year figure) in 2019.
With Tamilnadu topping the records for most number of road accidents in the country, the State Government, along with the Traffic Police, has taken various measures to redeem its image and make roads safe for driving.
The District-wise Fatalities Report of 2017 reveals that Chennai had the highest number of fatalities with 1,300 deaths.
The measures to bring down the accident rates were divided into four groups – engineering, enforcement, education and emergency care.
As part of educational measures, short films and PSAs on road safety awareness with regard to mobile phone usage while driving, importance of using helmets and seat belts were asked to be prepared and sent to various officials of the State and subsequently made their way to the public via various mediums.
Chennai City Traffic Police took a major step in engineering with the campaign of The Third Eye, through which old surveillance cameras on the roads were upgraded and also new ones were placed within 50 metres of each other at most roads and intersections.
Fines for driving without licence and helmets, jumping stop signs have been increased by city traffic cops. “The 304A signs on the roads definitely jolt me while driving and this is exactly why they have been put up. It just makes you realise the importance of driving safe at certain junctions and busy intersections in the city. As far as the fine rates for traffic violations are concerned, I strongly believe that it is a good move. At least now motorists would obey the traffic rules,” says a motorist from Vadapalani.
The major concern of motorists seems to be the consistency of the measures taken by the Traffic Police across the State. The lack of proper road signs and surveillance cameras in most second tier cities in Tamilnadu is still a major drawback, they say.
The report by the Tamilnadu government also revealed that maximum accidents and maximum fatalities are caused due to two-wheelers, followed by four-wheelers, such as cars and heavy vehicles.
Article by Sadakshi K R