Importance of Effective Accident Investigation in Making the Road Network Safer | IRTE

The single-most critical aim of an accident investigation should be prevention.
As many as 410 people die, and 6400 get injured seriously on Indian roads every day. These are serious numbers when plotted as yearly figure – the population of many small countries across the globe! Imagine, it’s like wiping out an entire country! 
Sadly, not much is being done about it as human life doesn’t seem to have much value in our country.
Purpose of accident investigation
Multiple factors are responsible for road accidents, and it can rarely be attributed to a single cause.
1. The purpose of an accident investigation procedure is to find out the cause of the accident and take pre-emptive steps to control or eliminate similar accidents from happening in the future.
2. While the primary purpose of an accident investigation is to punish the errant drivers and discourage them and others from driving rashly, there are more reasons like deciding punitive damages, insurance claims, etc.
3. Other factors that can be highlighted through an accident investigation procedure could be - cause of the accident, the condition and design of the roads, the flow of traffic, pedestrian traffic, state of the traffic signals, to name a few. Understanding these could further help in resolution and prevention.
4. Researching and analysing on the above factors can help in finding solutions to bring down the rate of accidents and deaths on Indian roads.
Benefits of a scientific Accident Investigation
  • Impartial and exhaustive analysis of the cause of the accident.
  • Deciding the errant driver’s punishment – both punitive and penalty.
  • Deciding on compensation, if any, for the victims or their families
  • Gives legitimate proof for any policy claims and punitive damages.
  • Works as a deterrent for future road behaviour by becoming an example for other road users
  • Helps in identifying contributory reasons, if any, like road engineering & design, the traffic volume of a road, the condition of the road signage and traffic equipment, etc.
  • Helps in identifying problem areas and strategies to resolve them.
  • The most significant advantage of an effective accident investigation and analysis is its contribution to lowering the rate of accidents and deaths on Indian roads.
As a definite step in that direction, the Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE) has set up India’s first mobile collision analysis & research laboratory CrashLab at Delhi. 
IRTE aims to revolutionise scientific collision investigation in the country by supporting the police and other investigating authorities in finding out the actual causes and consequences of collisions.
Together, let’s build a road to safety.
Author: Rohina Chawla

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