Despite the fact that by 2030 the consequences of the catastrophic road safety issues could increase manifold, apart from the regional Hindi media partly rallying behind the cause, latest surveys show that the English media has virtually turned a blind eye towards this aspect of automobiles plying on roads.
In a nation where every 25 seconds 1 death occurs, every hour 140 people die in road accidents globally, the world globally has 3400 deaths, the estimate is that by 2030 road accidents will become the 5th leading cause of death.
Road accidents still remain the 1st cause among 15 to 29 years of age. With low income countries at high risk, especially the vulnerable road users, indepth study shows that there is great need to change the perception that road safety is not newsworthy.
Ashish from NBT says, “There are drastic and immediate changes happening in the design of NBT. As a consequence the paper is bringing in some interesting changes. With this an Inse Seekhein column that is coming up will give us room to work on features around special road safety heroes. Another segment is Mudde Ki Baat that will try to tap into concerned stakeholders who will be questioned. When launched in 2013 NBT tried to work on how police was trying to work on safety on roads and where poor ground clearance is having a direct bearing on road strips. ”
Top editors who came down for a conclave at Hotel Levana, Hazratganj were primarily of the view that instead of churning out reality TV news one must focus on solution based journalism.
This at a time when the time denoted for road safety coverage is just 1.7% of the total time.
They feel the modern newsroom does not take it seriously if the number of deaths are not higher. Tickers rarely have relevant information. Grave mistakes made in giving details and most journos on field do not bother to visit spots, victims home and hospital. Sadly there are unskilled journalists on the field and there is little or no ground reportage.
Very few reporters know or want to know about the intricacies of road safety. Top editorial leadership largely is of the view that such issues do not make good copy. Need to train reporters and brainstorm top editorial leadership, they add.
Anupam Pathak, veteran broadcast professional adds, ” In modern times there is very little scope for hardcore news to carry subtle messages like that of road safety. The 13 to 14 hours of general public broadcasting is where one finds some scope to do interesting and impactful short features. We can have discussions across forums with a wide variety of guests. We know things but ignorance is high. We only react when we are hurt or affected.”
In a state where the incidence of road accidents has been on the rise since as early as 2007, the need for road safety initiatives and awareness drives is very crucial.
3 persons are killed in every 10 road accidents in India. State wise variations show an accident in UP could probably be five times more fatal than one in Kerala as per a Factly Report.
When it comes to number of persons killed in road accidents over the past few years, Uttar Pradesh tops the chart
Dr Mukesh Kumar, a media veteran who has six news channel launches to his credit says, “ TV channels score miserably when it comes to reportage on road safety. It is lowest on the priority list. Whatever little reportage is seen is highly sensationalized. The media at present is pitching a diametrically opposite India to the world which essentially means it is shielding flaws and painting a rosy picture. Essentially what needs to be done is to bring in a new wave of ideas to refresh and revamp the production slate. But I do understand that there are constraints at different levels.”
Uttar Pradesh tops in road accident fatalities in the entire country with a percentage share of 12.1% – approximately 18,000 deaths in the year 2015. Most of these accidents and fatalities are preventable by creating awareness among the general population doing advocacy with decision-makers. It is here that media organizations and journalists can play an important role.
Dipak Dash, Correspondent, TOI New Delhi said , “ For any journalist now it is more important to know how to hardsell a story. As journalists you will have to write and strike the iron when it’s hot. This to make big impact. Be good at marketing and also know the editor and what he wants out of you. Sell stories to the public based on public demand. ”
The state reported highest number of deaths — 23,219 for road and rail accidents in 2015 as per the NCRB data. Primary reason for around 8,109 deaths was careless driving.
The gravity of the situation in India first came to limelight when Dr. Sunil Baliram Gaikwad an MP from Latur in Maharashtra posed certain questions. He was greatly concerned about the use of earphones by those on the move on Indian roads.
India accounts for over 200,000 deaths because of road accidents, according to the Global Road Safety Report, 2015 released by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Some 1.25 million people die each year globally as a result of road traffic crashes as per WHO’s report, despite improvements in road safety.
Estimated financial loss due to road crashes: approx. 3% of India’s GDP
SDG Target 3.6: By 2020, halve global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents Dr Dinesh C Sharma who has much varied experience in Science writing and is currently the Managing Editor, the India Science Wire spoke elaborately on how best to leverage Science journalism to the growing demands of reporting road safety issues correctly.
Dr Dinesh C Sharma, Managing Editor, India Science Wire was clear when he said, “The idea of having this workshop is essentially to push the envelope further and go beyond just TRP, media being a product and commercialization of news. Value addition in news is a key element that needs to be factored in and always go the last mile to do a follow up. Wants such workshops to build better professionals.”
Meanwhile Loss of a personal colleague many years back led to a realization dawn on the mind of Dr Vinod Jain, a senior member of the KGMU that something needs to be urgently done about trauma care. He has been tirelessly campaigning for years now. Sitting inside the precincts of the Mohammed Bagh Club, Dr Vinod Jain was chatting with one of his co medicos, when he was asked a simple question that was going to change the way he was seeing his profession.
He was asked how many lives can you save as a neurosurgeon, he said many in number but then pat came the rebuttle What about trauma.
Little did he know that personal tragedies will eventually show him the way to actually get trained in trauma care.
He vividly remembers what transpired 20 years ago when one of his colleagues met with an accident while on his way to meet the CMO. He was lying in a pool of blood on a highway. For two hours the person lay unattended. By the time he could be brought for treatment to the hospital he had already passed away. Dr Jain recounts the moments of horror when he actually did a post mortem on his own colleague who was dear to him.
The other life changing case was in 2011 that of his own sister in law whose hair got stuck in a mechanical device and there was a consequent fracture in a hand as well. It was when he informed a concerned ambulance and the hospital was informed well in advance that things passed off smoothly in the nick of time.
Hence an organized trauma care centre is what he has tried to setup and now focuses on spreading the word in letter and spirit when it comes to trauma. 5 million people die as a result of injuries and media needs to play a proactive role. His mantra is the best injured patient is whom I never see.
He feels no one really understands the actual solution to trauma. Training of paramedics much needed. Quite possible for the country to follow the US model something that he has studied from close quarters. School age is the right agegroup to tap because here is where lies the true genesis.
WHAT’S MAKING NEWS IN UP
UP has been in the news off late for the famous phoolon wali gadi episode that mowed down an innocent 5 year old. The government later announced a compensation as well.
Be it six dead in Bareilly, 3 killed and 2 injured in Bhadohi or four killed in UP’s Muzaffarnagar such cases are happening every second day.
As per an HT report from May, the latest cases being reported from the Hindi heartland are
Three killed and four injured in April 23 when an SUV hit a fallen tree in Mudkutti village of Basti
In Jan 19, 2017, 12 students and the driver of the school bus were killed and about two dozen other children injured. All this when a vehicle collided with a sand-laden truck in Etah district’s Aliganj.
On Feb 14, 2017- Eight persons were killed when an ambulance rammed into a stationary truck in Sant Kabir Nagar.
On Oct 25 last year a 42-year-old was killed and over 35 injured when a bus overturned in Bahraich district.
In 2015 June 5 and Feb 13 cases were reported from Yamuna Expressway in Mathura district.and Chaurasi area in Unnao district respectively.
On May 18, 2014 eight persons died and 10 were injured when a tempo collided with a truck in Mirzapur
Dec 2, 2014: Three women were killed and 24 others injured when a tractor trolley overturned near Kallanpur area in Fatehpur district.
In Dec 12, 2013 14 people were killed after a speeding truck hit two motorcycles in Sitapur on Lucknow outskirts.
DECADE FOR ACTION FOR ROAD SAFETY – THE GENESIS
Keeping the aforementioned scenario in UP in mind the Baltimore based Johns Hopkins University in collaboration with WHO and Amity University is working on a pan India initiative to try and curb road accidents by spreading awareness on road safety. With things in UP in dire straits they chose to start the initiative from two cities Lucknow and Kanpur to sensitize the media about how to report such cases and spread the word about the dos and don’ts.
Back in the year 2011 the World Health Organization launched its global Decade for Action for Road Safety awareness campaign. The idea since then has been to create a synergy between governments, industries, nongovernmental organizations and research institutions to help cut down accidents. The Decade of Action aims to save 5 million lives from road traffic injuries in the decade.
More than two people die every minute on the world’s roads, which amounts to 1.3 million people every year. WHO predicts road traffic injuries will become the world’s fifth leading cause of death by the year 2030.
The Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit faculty many of whom have taken lead in exploring the burden of road traffic injuries have made significant strides in these areas. The Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit is also part of a the Road Safety in 10 Countries project, a five-year, $125 million initiative supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy has a 25 year history of addressing road traffic injuries.
The Lucknow/ Kanpur Connect
The Center for Communication and Change – India (CCC-I), an Indian affiliate of the Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for Communication Programs (JHUCCP) by way of a two day workshop sensitized and mentored professional journalists working in recognized media organizations in different aspects of road safety.
The Center for Communication and Change – India (CCC-I) has been commissioned by WHO for this project.
Top officials from WHO , Ministry of Health and Welfare; Johns Hopkins University ; Media Editors , Eminent Journalist and Medical Professionals conducted the two day workshop held on November 3 and 4 at Hotel Lavana.
Ten Journalists drawn from Print , Electronics , FM Channels , Portals and Social Media sites were picked up for the media sensitization workshop.
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