The rapid increase in road accidents has today become a growing concern in India, with as many as 13 people dying every hour due them. Close to 33% of road accident victims lose their lives in India, compared to 2% in India. While the lack of awareness regarding emergency ambulances is a major reason for the same, such a high number of casualties also highlights the urgent need for road discipline, with a view to enhancing safety.
One of the primary causes for road accidents is over speeding, which is further aggravated by the absence of strict speed limits and monitoring of the same, in the country. Not only does over speeding increase the risk of accidents, it also raises the potential severity of the injuries, often leading to a fatal outcome. Instead of over speeding to save time, one should make sure to leave for their destination with enough time in hand, as it not only enables a more comfortable journey, but also might avoid the loss of someone’s life, besides one’s own.
The other reason for a majority of road accidents is the flouting of basic traffic rules and regulations. Traffic laws in India are much more lenient compared to foreign countries, as a result of which, many drivers and riders heedlessly ignore them, causing traffic congestions, and in worst cases, fatal or near-fatal accidents. The only way to prevent this is to follow traffic rules and regulations sincerely, such as waiting for the signal to turn green, using indicators before taking a turn, avoiding driving in the opposite direction on a one-way street, riding one’s vehicle on the footpath, and the like. In addition to preventing dangerous accidents, this will also help in the efficient functioning of the transport network, avoiding unnecessary congestion and more.
Lastly, a critically important law of the road is that one must always make way for ambulances, no matter what, since a difference of a few minutes stuck in a traffic jam might decide the life or death of a patient. As such, one must always make sure allow ambulances to pass, irrespective of road conditions and personal urgency. In fact, it might one day be the same person being transported in a similar ambulance, with their very lives hinging upon being able to reach the hospital at the earliest!
Hence, road safety is today an incredibly important need of the hour, in order to bring down the country’s mortality rate. In case of the occurrence of an accident, the first responder should make sure to contact an emergency medical response helpline like 108 or 1298 which are operated by Ziqitza Healthcare Ltd. (ZHL) at the earliest. With more than 3300 ambulances across India, and an experience of saving more than 20 million lives, ZHL also operates the 108 and 1298 Helplines, which provide fully equipped ambulances with trained paramedics on board for all kinds of medical emergencies. Over a decade of experience in operating ambulances, we have realised that reaching the patient on time in case of an accident makes a massive difference of life and death, but several times, due to urban traffic congestion or broken roads in rural settings makes it challenging to respond within 4-5 minutes of the call. Thus, we at ZHL strongly believe that as citizens, we need to do our bit of traffic-rule compliance to ensure that maximum lives are saved, in case of a road accident.