Monday, May 14, 2012

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development report links road accidents to booming economy

May 14, 2012
Source: India today

India's economic boom could be blamed for the increasing number of road fatalities when compared with figures from recession-hit nations across the world.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says the "economic downturn that started in 2008 have had its impact" on road fatalities in recession-hit countries. It compares figures from the US, the UK, Greece and other nations with data from middle-income stable economies such as Malaysia and Cambodia to arrive at the conclusion.

Though India was not included in the survey, Transport Ministry officials said insulation from the global recession did play a huge role in India's road safety -vis-a-vis more cars being bought and, hence, more accidents.

"We have the buying power. Vehicle registration had gone up manifold, so has the lust for speed among the youth. Hence, more road deaths every year," a senior Transport Ministry official said.

Data reveals that Delhi alone has 60 lakh registered vehicles, while the country has been witnessing a 10 per cent annual increase in the number of registrations.

"Likewise, fatalities are growing each year from 500 to 1,000 in states where high registration rates have been witnessed," the official said.

The nation witnesses 130,000 road deaths every year, which is 10 per cent of global fatalities.
The world road statistics 2010, brought out by the Geneva-based International Road Federation, says the nation was at the top of road accidents, followed by China and the US. About 530,000 accidents were reported every year in India and the social cost of these incidents has been pegged at Rs.60,000 crore.

Countries hit by recession over the past four years have shown a more "pronounced reduction in the number of road fatalities" compared to 10 years before 2008 because of a drastic dip in "less traffic, reduction in leisure driving and resorting to bicycles as a pocket-cum-environment friendly option".

The global survey says oil shocks have reduced speed limits and travelling distance in Europe. Job losses forced many to leave their cars in garages and try options such as bicycles and public transport.

But for "recession-proof" economies such as Malaysia road fatalities have gone up. "The rapid rise in motorisation has set the pace of road fatalities by about 14 per cent every year since 2000 in Malaysia," the OECD report adds.

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