Report on road accidents in your local town

Introduction

Road accidents have become a leading cause of death and injury on the highways of Nepal, and our local town, Dhulikhel, on the Araniko Highway, is no exception. The Ministry of Road and Transport has therefore formed this commission to study the causes of accidents. As the chairman of the commission, I was asked to investigate the reasons for the rapid increase in accidents in the town and on the nearby section of the highway.

During the last three years, the Traffic Police recorded 86 accidents on a 12 km stretch passing through the town (illustrative figures), with 19 deaths and 140 injuries. Of these accidents, 60 percent occurred in the evening or at night. The commission collected data from the police and hospitals, visited the accident-prone spots, interviewed 80 drivers, shopkeepers and residents, and observed the traffic for two weeks.

Discussion

1. Human factors. Most accidents (about 65 percent) resulted from overspeeding, careless overtaking, drunk driving, driving without a licence and failure to wear helmets. Long-route drivers admitted that they drive for 12 hours or more without rest.

2. Vehicle factors. Old buses and trucks with weak brakes and worn tyres, overloaded vehicles and defective lights were involved in 15 percent of the cases. Motorcycles, whose riders are unprotected, accounted for half of the deaths.

3. Road and environment factors. The highway passes through the town's market, so heavy trucks mix with pedestrians and local vehicles. At some places there are no footpaths or pedestrian crossings, the street lights do not work, the road edges are broken, and sharp bends lack signs and barriers. Fog in winter and rain in the monsoon reduce visibility.

4. Enforcement and awareness. There are few traffic police on the highway after dark, speed checks are rare, and people do not follow the rules at crossing points. Awareness among the public, particularly school children, is low.

5. Emergency response. The nearest trauma centre is 40 minutes away, and the lack of ambulances and first-aid training increases the number of deaths.

Conclusion

The accidents in our town result from a combination of risky driver behaviour, unsafe vehicles, poor road design in a built-up area, and weak enforcement. No single measure can solve the problem. The commission therefore concludes that the problem can be reduced through (a) strict enforcement of speed limits and licence rules, (b) a bypass or traffic calming in the market area, (c) pedestrian crossings, footpaths and street lights, (d) mandatory helmets and vehicle fitness checks, (e) public awareness, and (f) better ambulance and first-aid services.