Decreasing Road Safety: 4-Year-Old Mowed Down by A Speeding Car, A Teen Driver Arrested

India witnesses too many road accidents every year and the majority of the incidents are caused because of improper traffic management and silly mistakes made by the people on the roads. Intentional risk and not obligating traffic rules are also a potential risk among the motor-users. In a recent shocker, a 4-year-old boy was mowed down by a speeding vehicle in Mumbai’s Wadala area. According to the report, the car was being driven by a 19-year-old who was not under the influence of alcohol. He killed a 4-year-old who was playing in the streets as the family lived on the streets.

The driver of the Hyundai Creta was arrested right on the spot. The police also claimed, that the teen was not trying to flee the scene but was reversing the car when he was apprehended. The teen was arrested under Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita.

The incident came after the deadly bus undertaken by BMCC which led to the death of 7 people and injured more than 40 people. Most commonly regarded as the Kurla Incident, it heightened concerns regarding road safety concerns. In previous news, Maharashtra has become a red zone when it comes to various road accidents. Ministry of Road Transportation has numbered around 66,000 road accidents that have occurred between 2018 and 2022.

Nitin Gadkari, speaking in parliament claimed, that close to 1,74,00,000 lives have been lost in the past and the majority of the people on the list belong to an age group of 18 to 30 years which is again alarming. Maharashtra has to work on more road safety issues and ensure that roads are safer to travel.

Many states in India do not have proper guidelines and road safety measures. Starting from no proper usage of the helmets to traffic signal violations, road safety has become a serious concern. The traffic laws are not enforced strongly and many motor users are not following the rules and regulations.

The prime question that arises in road accidents is “Why are laws not being made strong enough to avoid such instances? The answer lies in the system where minor signal violations can be overdrawn with a minor bribe which creates even major risk for other travellers on the road. Many cases including the Pune Porsche crash reveal the power of certain people in the society and how these powers can be mis-utilized to obtain wrongful justice.

In many similar cases to the Pune Porsche incident, the accused are being freed by just a minimal bribe. Thus, the judiciary system needs to be blamed and how the system is dealing with the lives of victims is a matter of high concern. Many countries across the globe have developed strong traffic laws including rash driving and signal violations. These actions by the countries have reduced road accidents and generated awareness among the people.

The laws need to be strengthened and road safety needs to be enhanced to eliminate any form of road accidents. For states like Maharashtra where the number of vehicles is quite high, a strict policy and patrol parties should be introduced to combat unlawful drivers.