New Delhi: India not only has the dubious distinction of having one of the worst road accident records in the world, but that these are taking more and more young lives, particularly of school children.
Road accidents have left nearly 70 children dead and many injured since the start of 2013, a NGO has said. More than 60 students were also injured in 11 accidents spread over seven states since January 2013 till July this year. In all instances, the victims were travelling in school buses which were either hit by other vehicles or trains or rolled down mountain slopes.
According to NGO Save Life Foundation, which works for road safety, the accidents took place in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Telangana.
In one of the worst disasters, 19 students were killed and some 20 injured when their school bus was smashed by a speeding train at an unmanned rail-road crossing in Telangana Thursday. The dead included the school bus driver.
Although the number of school children is a miniscule part of the total number of Indians dying daily on the roads, activists say most accidents are avoidable.
Piyush Tewari, founder and president of Save Life Foundation, said holding an adult “accountable for safety of children while on the move” and having child safety laws would act as deterrents.
Two accidents this year injured 12 school students. The first took place May 12 in Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh, injuring two students.
Ten students were injured in adjoining Noida April 29 when their school bus was hit by a state-run bus.
IANS
