Abdul Wahab Khan
Panaji: Even as the state witnesses a high number of road accidents and the resultant fatalities, a comprehensive road safety audit has pointed out several deficiencies in Goa’s traffic safety framework.
The findings, published in ‘India Status Report on Road Safety 2024’ and recently released by the Transportation Research & Injury Prevention (TRIP) Centre of IIT-Delhi, indicate systemic weaknesses in the enforcement of rules apart from lack of emergency response system and infrastructure on the state’s roads.
The report claims that while 84% of the national highways in the state have undergone proper safety audit, only 13% of the state highways and major district roads have been audited for safety. The percentage of road deaths on national highways in Goa increased from 39.7% in 2018 to 46.9% in 2022.
The report further states that none of the crash barriers on the national highways in the state comply with the Indian Road Congress (IRC) standards. Of the 41 intersections identified on national highways for safety improvements, only 37% have all the recommended traffic calming measures implemented. On state highways, 40% of the 60 intersections, while on major district roads, only 31% of the 80 intersections have such measures in place.
The report raises concern over the complete absence of level I, II or III trauma centres along the national highways, limiting emergency medical response capabilities. While a toll-free helpline for accident emergency care exists, the lack of a centralised database for injury and trauma records hampers comprehensive tracking and response, it states.
The audit has identified two-wheeler riders as particularly vulnerable on the roads, accounting for 66.4% of the reported deaths in 2022, compounded by rampant helmet rule violations. This correlates directly with the extraordinarily high two-wheeler ownership in Goa – at 665.9 vehicles per 1,000 persons in 2020 with 86.7% of households owning such vehicles between 2019 and 2021.
The report also states that 97% of the pillion riders on urban roads and 94% on rural roads travel without a helmet or headgear. Even among drivers, non-compliance is high at 19% in urban areas and 30% on rural roads, the report states.
Pedestrians constitute another vulnerable group, constituting 18.8% of the road fatalities. Despite this, pedestrian infrastructure remains inadequate with footpaths available on only 30% of the road length, the report states. Moreover, only 32% of the existing footpaths meet the IRC standards for width and height.
