Pemmasani Flags Alarming Rise in Road Fatalities

Vijayawada: Union minister of state for rural development and communications Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar on Saturday warned that road accidents claim more lives than wars, earthquakes or plane crashes, stressing the need for greater responsibility among youth.

Addressing the ‘Safety through Training, Transformation through Technology’ programme at the Guntur Collectorate as part of National Road Safety Month, the minister said road accidents account for nearly 1.6 lakh deaths annually in India. He expressed concern that over 50 per cent of the victims were young people.

Pemmasani attributed the high fatality rate to lack of awareness and poor judgement among youth. He said negligence on the road could permanently affect families, noting that serious injuries such as spinal damage often place lifelong emotional and financial burdens on parents and dependants.

Dismissing misconceptions about safety gear, the minister said wearing helmets did not cause hair loss and urged youngsters to prioritise safety over appearance. He also cautioned that even small amounts of alcohol severely impair brain function and increase accident risks.

Guntur district joint collector Ashutosh Srivastava highlighted the growing trend of risky stunts for social media content, saying such behaviour had led to fatal accidents. He said the District Road Safety Committee, comprising police and transport officials, was holding monthly meetings to identify accident-prone black spots and ensure pothole-free roads.

Guntur West MLA Galla Madhavi called for stricter enforcement of traffic laws on par with Western countries and urged action against errant auto-rickshaws. Prathipadu MLA Burla Ramanjaneyulu said adherence to traffic rules reflected genuine concern for family safety.

The programme concluded with the distribution of prizes to students who won essay-writing and quiz competitions on road safety.