Introduction
Intending to improve road safety and minimize the number of on-road injuries and yearly fatalities as a result of unfortunate road accidents, the ministry of road transport and highways led by Nitin Gadkari has recently issued a public notice announcing the replacement of road barriers with much more effective alternative of crash barriers.
Key mentions in the announcement
Speaking on the issue of road accidents, the union minister of road transport and high Shri Nitin Gadkari shared some shocking figures on road accidents that occurred in 2019 and 2020.
As per the compiled data, the year 2020 saw a total of 3, 66,138 road accidents across the country resulting in close to 3, 48, 279 injuries which further resulted in 1, 31, 714 unfortunate deaths or fatalities.
The calendar year 2019 however, had even more disheartening numbers. A total number of 4, 49, 002 registered accidents resulted in 4, 51, 361 injuries.
To significantly reduce road accidents and improve the aspect of safer road travel, Shri Nitin Gadkari announced the new initiative adding that the goal by 2024 will be to reduce road accidents by 50 percent.
The advantage of using crash barriers over road rails
This is a significant decision that can greatly benefit road transport in India. Crash barriers are an important part of road safety, as they prevent vehicles from crashing into dangerous objects or other cars. Different countries have different methods of installing crash barriers, depending on the needs of that country.
In some cases, a guardrail is placed along the edge of a road to protect drivers from going over a cliff or off the road entirely. In other cases, large concrete blocks may be placed in the middle of the road to stop cars from colliding with oncoming traffic.
In addition, crash barriers are easier and cheaper to install and maintain than road rails. Thus, this decision is likely to improve safety on Indian roads and reduce costs for transportation companies.
Crash barriers are already being used in many other countries around the world, specifically the U.K. and the Netherlands where crash barrier installations are highly effective in preventing accidents.
Crash barrier installation can be expensive so it is important to weigh the costs against the benefits before deciding whether or not to install them. The Indian government has decided to invest about 25,000 crores in the installation of crash barriers in significant locations that require serious attention to road safety.
It is hoped that this change will help reduce the number of fatalities and injuries suffered due to road accidents in India.
Conclusion
India has seen several fatal accidents in recent years, and officials believe that installing crash barriers will help reduce these numbers. Crash barriers are also seen as a way to improve driver safety overall, as they can help keep drivers inside their lane and avoid collisions. Such critical decisions are worthy of recognition and appreciation, especially for the masses who will directly benefit from such praiseworthy initiatives.
