Hang on for Dear Life

Reliving the painful events in life always left me with a sense of despair for the possibilities and opportunities that were lost or trapped. I was at the movies with my son, watching the Academy-award winning Oppenheimer, after which I felt deeply distressed by the tragic events mirroring the history of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. More than 200,000 lives were lost. Despite J. Robert Oppenheimer’s noble intentions to end war and promote humanity, the outcome was all dread.

My thoughts rushed back to previous instances, which usually make us nauseas and want to do everything to prevent re-encountering them in the future. Millions of people have died around the world due to various reasons, including war, pandemics, mortality, road fatalities, and more. People are terrified of these catastrophes in life yet move towards them without doubts every day.

Out of these reasons, one has a relationship with me through the safety industry: the daily mortality caused by road fatalities globally. However, the global number of road fatalities, which is over 1.19 million per year according to WHO, is not any less relevant than those mentioned above. Amongst this phantom number’s many contributors, India stands the tallest. In 2022, 4,61,312 traffic accidents were reported, resulting in 1,68,491 fatalities as per MoRTH.

These heartbreaking facts and figures motivate me to think more about the best practices, tactics, policies, and duties for collectively saving the lives of our loved ones.

I am always sensitive to this subject and believe that this quantity might be smaller or bigger for everyone and anybody, unless one compromises his or her closest one, which means the world to him or her.

The world is seeking to reduce road crashes by half by 2030 and achieve zero deaths by 2050. Many countries have made tremendous headway in reducing their country's road fatalities and are now extending their hands to other countries for assistance. Though global leadership is working to reduce road fatalities, we, as road users, bear a greater duty to ensure that these efforts are successful. Focusing solely on technologies, innovations, laws, or regulations will not help us meet road safety targets until we acquire some of the following behaviors to overcome the challenges:

1.???? Do Not ‘Grease the wheels’!

Those who are biking or walking on the road are more at risk than you are. An increase in average speed is closely correlated with the probability of a crash happening as well as the seriousness of the crash's effects. In 2022, seven out of ten deaths on Indian roads were caused by over speeding. Some of the main reasons for speeding up your vehicle include intoxication, competition, haste, recklessness, and the thirst for an adrenaline rush.

A few of the minor actions listed below can assist us in reaching our goal smoothly for both you and other road users-

·?????? Follow the posted speed limit when driving.

·?????? Use common sense to regulate your speed when driving in a city.

·?????? Avoid drinking and driving.

·?????? Never compete in races with other people.

·?????? Stay on time.

??2.???? Do not swirl ‘Away with fairies’!

Being consciously aware has become a secondary nature in this day and age. Maintaining mental and emotional focus while avoiding distractions is quite challenging. Distracted driving accounts for 8–10% of fatalities on the road. There is a promise for drivers from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Say, "I will…

?·?????? …protect lives by never texting or talking on the phone while driving

·?????? …be a good passenger and speak out if the driver in my car is distracted

·?????? …encourage my friends and family to drive phone-free.”

?3.???? Mind your p’s & q’s!

"Obey the laws, or they will be obeyed in a way you won't like." - Benjamin Franklin. Governments and businesses worldwide are working to implement a plethora of innovations,?laws and regulations aimed at improving road safety. Governments and industries throughout the world are working to implement a variety of laws and guidelines to improve road safety. Users although abuse them by failing to follow instructions, guidelines, or the simplest of regulations like wearing seatbelts or wearing helmets. We can save thousands of lives on the road by adhering to the two basic driving principles outlined above.

It is a journey that must be trodden collectively, and the government and industry are taking several initiatives to make roads safer, but spirit is the root source of all solutions. So, we are all equally accountable for making roadways safer.

?In essence, I would like to conclude by a statement in Oppenheimer –

“Theory will take you only so far.”