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In an age where progressive urban cities serve as a measure of national growth, it is easy to be carried away by several ambitious and pro-western urban projects. The central and state governments are pushing for advancement in the form of smart cities and various other technological upgrades.

For too long now, we have been treating the seat belt as if it were a vestigial organ. Confused? A vestigial organ is a rudimentary body part that is not really functional. So high is our disregard for this life saving device, that when our cars have their yearly check over, obliging mechanics neatly tuck away and put under seat covers, this appendage that we’d rather not be dealing with.

Image courtesy: afrycze

Image courtesy: www.thebetterindia.com

Image courtesy: European Transport Safety Council

In the rat race that is the urban lifestyle, we constantly have our foot on the accelerator, trying to get from point A to B in impossibly short times. Small gap in traffic opens in front of us and the instinct is to floor it and close the gap. God forbid someone else reacts quicker, sneaks in, and gets ahead of us! And then there are those situations when the intersection is several 100m ahead and the light turns green.

I have been driving a bike since 2012, and often see two-wheeler accidents. This caused me to look at the data to understand why two-wheeler involvement in accidents was so high, especially as I was two-wheeler rider.

Pedestrians are one of the most vulnerable groups on our roads though walking is most environment-friendly and sustainable mode of transport. Legally, motorists are required to give Right of Way to pedestrians but rarely does a motorist in India do so. CAG spoke a few elderly pedestrians on the travails of walking in India.

The years 2011-2020 have been designated as the Decade of Action for Road Safety by the WHO. This is global acknowledgment of the gravity of road safety issues across the world and the lives being lost to it.

Roads in India are invariably geared towards a small group of users. The needs of people who are old, slow, differently-abled, etc are rarely considered by those who design roads and by those who use them. To mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (Dec 3) we spoke to 2 such people on problems faced in navigating Indian roads.