Sunday, 10 SEPTEMBER 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Concerned with the alarming spike in road accidents leading to death, disability and hospitalisation of people, the Doon Library and Research Centre organised a road safety awareness lecture programme. Delivering his lecture, Padma Shri recipient orthopaedic surgeon Dr BKS Sanjay said that in view of the surging number of fatal road accidents in the country, the people must be made aware of the road safety norms. He said that the carelessness of the drivers is responsible for most of the road mishaps. “Carelessness is a behavioural problem which can be changed at any time if one wishes,” he said and added that his team has remained engaged in bringing about changes in the people’s minds and inculcating the habit of following the road safety rules.
Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Gaurav Sanjay said that as per a United Nations report, over five lakh road accidents occur annually in India, leaving one third of those involved in accidents dead and approximately three lakh people maimed. “Worryingly, more than 50 per cent of those who die in accidents are aged between 15 to 35 years. They are the future of the country. We all should follow traffic rules like wearing helmets and fastening seatbelts to substantially reduce the risk of fatalities,” he said and added that the enormous increase in the number of registered vehicles in Uttarakhand is a matter of great concern for all.
RTO Shailesh Tiwari said that when vehicles are moving at high speed the force of the collision doubles which is why such head-on collisions are fatal. “In case of juvenile driving sans license, we seize such vehicles and make them pay a hefty fine. Besides, their guardians may be imprisoned for up to three years,” he added.
