Nagpur: Timely medical assistance to road accident victims can save lives of nearly 50% of those injured in crashes, union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari said on Saturday, while stressing need for collective responsibility to achieve the goal of zero road accident fatalities.Speaking at the national convention on ‘Zero Accidents… ‘My Responsibility’ organised by the Maharashtra State Motor Driving School Owners’ Association at Kavi Suresh Bhat Auditorium, Gadkari said the govt has introduced several measures aimed at reducing accidents and preventing deaths, but public participation remains crucial.“Every year, around 5 lakh people are injured in accidents in India, while nearly 1.5 lakh lose their lives. A majority are young, with 66% belonging to 18-35 age group,” Gadkari said.He highlighted immediate assistance after accidents plays a critical role in saving lives. “The govt has introduced a reward scheme of 25,000 for Good Samaritans who help victims by taking them to hospitals and ensuring they receive timely treatment,” said Gadkari.“There is a provision for financial aid of up to 1.5 lakh for accident victims’ treatment. The objective is to ensure injured persons get medical attention without delay. With timely treatment, we believe that 50% of accident victims’ lives can be saved,” Gadkari said.The minister said road accidents occur due to factors including poor road engineering, automobile-related issues and human errors. While the govt is working on improving infra and strengthening enforcement, he said people must also develop respect for traffic laws.Gadkari underlined need of professional training and said driving institutes can play a major role in creating employment opportunities for lakhs of youth while improving road safety.
