New Delhi: With the country accounting for maximum number of deaths in road accidents, many of them due to drunken driving, Government has launched a week-long drive to create awareness on the issue.
The campaign --`Stay Alive, Don`t Drink and Drive`-- by Road Transport and Highways Ministry assumes significance with the country accounting for one lakh casualties in road accidents every year.
"These numbers translate into roughly one road accident per minute and one road accident death every four minutes for India," an official statement said here, adding that a large number of these accidents were a result of drunken driving.
It said, "The scourge of drunken driving needs to be eliminated by spreading awareness and through stringent enforcement measures. The state governments have also been requested to ensure removal of liquor shops from the vicinity of Highways."
The statement said a collective effort by different ministries would make a significant impact on the incidence of road accidents and help mitigate the scourge of road accident related deaths and injuries.
Road Transport and Highways Minister CP Joshi has appealed to all stake holders to join hands with the Government in its effort to make roads safer and to develop a sustainable road transport system across the country.
Stressing that children and youth in the age group of 15-24 years were among the most vulnerable on the roads, Joshi said steps were on to educate them as they accounted for 30.3 per cent of total road accident casualties during the year 2011.
"It is the Ministry`s endeavour to make road safety a social movement in partnership with schools and universities. Educational institutions can play a very important role in promoting road safety," the statement said.
PTI
