Shanta Kumar urges government to enact strict law regarding road accidents

Dharamshala, April 19, 2023: Former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and former Union Minister, Shanta Kumar, said that yesterday the former BJP President of Himachal BJP and current MLA, Satpal Satti, narrowly escaped a fatal accident when a tempo was speeding in the wrong direction, but thankfully, Satti was able to avoid a collision. Kumar highlighted the alarming number of road accidents that occur in India, particularly in Himachal Pradesh, where many innocent lives are lost every day.

In a statement released today Shanta Kumar emphasized that if the government takes road safety seriously, at least 80 percent of accidents can be prevented. He attributed the rise in accidents to the population explosion in India, which has led to an increase in vehicles and haste among people. According to the National Crime Bureau's report, there were 46 road accidents per hour in 2021, with 40 lakh accidents being serious. The report also revealed that 80 percent of accidents were caused by drunken driving and over speeding.

In Himachal Pradesh alone, there are approximately three deaths due to road accidents every day. In 2022, there were 405 accidents involving pedestrians, resulting in 119 deaths and 370 injuries. These statistics are alarming and call for immediate action to ensure the safety of all road users.

Shanta Kumar has urged the government to enact a strict law regarding road accidents. Those who drive at high speed should be caught immediately by installing new modern equipment. For the offense of drunken driving or speeding, the fine for the first time should be at least Rs 25,000 and for the second offense, the driver's license should be cancelled for one year. The day the government will make such a law, road accidents will reduce from the same day, many countries of the world have such laws. With this, thousands of lives will be saved, he added.