#Pulse: Pedestrians Equally To Blame For Road Accidents

Image used for representation only

 

Known for the humungous number of two wheelers, Pune has become a traffic nightmare that sees several accidents almost every day. Pedestrian related accidents have been on the rise for a while now and it is the rider or driver who is always imagined to be at fault.

Is it the lack of demarcated pedestrian walkways and well marked zebra crossings the real cause of these unfortunate accidents? Are the city’s pedestrians oblivious to traffic rules ? Are pedestrians equally at blame ? Pedestrian Injury cases are on the rise, and if you’ve been involved in an accident it’s important that you seek legal counsel immediately.

We speak to citizens to understand their concerns on traffic safety involving pedestrians.

Pune is among the cities with the highest number of road crash deaths including Mumbai and Bangalore.

In 2015 and 2016, the number of deaths due to road accidents was 399 and 420 respectively.

The number of pedestrians who died in these accidents was 119 and 132 respectively. Till the end of March, 2017, the number of road deaths was 91 out of which 22 were pedestrians.

Sharing her personal experience, Prerna Mulik brand manager says, “I have encountered such negligence on our roads numerous times. It is not only the drivers who need to be alert and it is the responsibility of the pedestrians also to be careful. Most of the time they don’t even check for the signals and try to run across the chowk, diagonally.

“When a driver sees a green signal, it is logical, that he will cross over quick. These jaywalkers must cross the overly crowded roads only after that. In the absence of a footpath, there is no option but to walk on the road, but what when there is a footpath and a sign board as well,” she quips.

“Major distractions for the pedestrians are often cell phones, their lack of knowledge on traffic signals or running to chase an auto rickshaw,” opines Vrihan. “I think most of them don’t even know that the green signal indicates that the riders need to go, not them and when you shout, they are like “dekh ke chalao”! But why can’t they mind the signal and then walk?

“Also, many two wheeler drivers attempt stunts and without guilt acquire the footpaths or even some bicycle tracks. Everyone does their own thing and no one ends up using their prescribed route to commute.”

Some are also of the view that the lack of pedestrian-centric infrastructure is adding to the traffic woes of the city.

“Places like FC road don’t have adequate crossings, leading to overly crowded roads and people crossing them from an odd point,” shares Sayali Sharma. “The long stretch of Karve road has only one foot over bridge that too at the end. At such situations where there are hardly any pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, accidents are expected.

“But yes, knowing all this, people need to be careful and alert as individuals. Sometimes a street dog or just a wrong turning can cause a major mishap. There is an urgent need for safer walkways for pedestrians and also making them better aware about road safety.”

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#All opinions in this article are those of the individual respondents and Pune365 does not necessarily subscribe to them.

Loveleen Kaur