You have asked for help, so I'll give you my opinion, even though I have been told by someone that Goans in Goa do not need "advice" from Goans in Portugal. There would be no problem, of course, if the "advice" came from the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Kenya,etc. as long as it came from English-speaking self-styled "true Goans". But I don't give a damn for that recommendation.
Road accidents are indeed a major social problem. They have to with:
The conditions of roads and related infrastructure and of the vehicles that circulate on them;
The level of civic education of drivers;
The policies of the Government to tackle the problem.
Since I do not wish to "advice" Goans, I'll mention the situation in Portugal.
In 1976, for about 1 million cars on the roads, there were 2400 deaths in traffic accidents. Last year, with close to 5 million cars (1 for every 2 persons), there were less than 1700 deaths. As you can see, an impressive achievement, resulting in a dramatic reduction in the death rate in accidents.
But that is not enough. We are still above the european average, and the goal is to reduce that number by half. The Government considers this a priority and has taken several measures:
1. Identifying the "black points" (places where the accidents happen more frequently) in the road network and make the necesssary corrections. There is a budget for this special programme.
2. Passing legislation-compulsory crash helmets, compulsory seat-belts on all 5 seats of cars, compulsory special baby-seats in cars,etc. Driving with more than 0,5g/l of alcohol in your blood is an offence, and above 1g / l it is a crime. Penalties include heavy fines, suspension of the driving licence from 6 months to 3 years, registration of all serious offences in your driving licence (after reaching a certain number, you loose it).
3. Enforcing the legislation by providing police with the means to carry out effective controls and checks on drivers. For this the traffic police have high powered cars, motorcycles, radar sets (fixed and mobile), cameras and helicopters. Drivers are routinely checked for alcohol and drugs use.
4. Providing quick medical assistance to accident victims: the whole country is covered by INEM (Instituto Nacional de Emerg�ncia M�dica), which has medicalized ambulances (the injured are assisted by doctors and nurses inside the ambulance, where they can be ventilated and stabilized, if need be, on the way to the hospital). For the seriouly injured, there are medicalized helicopters, that airlift the injured directly from the accident scene to the nearest hospital. These INEM services have saved many lives, that would otherwise have been lost on the way to the hospitals.
Just two other notes.
Last month, a young man that caused an accident last year while driving in a state of drunkenness, and cause 2 or 3 deaths, was put on trial for homicide and got a heavy prison term. Increasingly, people who cause deaths are being charged and put on trial.
Last year, more than 20 agents of the Brigada de Tr�nsito (Traffic Brigade) of our otherwise highly professional and efficient paramilitary force GNR (National Republican Guard), were arrested and are waiting trial in prison, charged with corruption. Apparently they were receiving money to turn a blind eye to traffic offences committed by truck drivers (like overloading), the trucks belonging to construction companies in the southern region of Algarve. What triggered the investigation by the police was the fact that some Guardsmen were building huge mansions and driving luxury cars around. Everyone knows that a traffic policeman does not earn the kind of money needed to afford such a lifestyle. The bottom line is:You can't fight road accidents if the police is corrupt. The authorities want to send a clear message to the entire police force.
We also have a strong public campaign to fight accidents, with TV spots, outdoor ads, newspaper articles, daily and weekly reports on accidents and constant advice to motorists on all main radio stations, specially at rush hours. Research is conducted on the causes of accidents There is also an association of road accident victims, which is increasingly vocal, and the Government is paying attention to what it has to say.
I believe I have done my share about road accidents. It is only a very elementary approach to the problem, but maybe you can borrow an idea or two.
Rui Manuel Colla�o
From: "Valmiki Faleiro" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [Goanet]BS on Goanet Date: Sat, 6 Sep 2003 14:22:32 +0530
"Tirando o mal, todo e bem" (my lingua de Camoens is "ferrugente," result perhaps of years of incarceration in boarding school, so pardon my gramm..)
Bernardo, Miguel, Rui n others have been pursuing this grand debate, sometimes with very (imho) valid points.
BUT TO WHAT PURPOSE??????????????
Tackling ghosts from history (in the form of snakes or whatever) will get nobody anywhere [if u r looking for a paradise bereft of snakes, re-migrate to New Zealand :- ) ]
Edgar, i'm fairly convinced you are a gifted person. Could you use your
persuasion, talent, whatever, to convert these highly resourceful personae
to get them use their talents for something POSITIVE for their dear brethren
back home, in Bharatiya Goa? ...like talking of how to avoid almost entire
households, or the family's sole bread-earner, getting killed on Goa's
roads ... as a matter of daily routine...
... So much that, by now, among dear Goa's "No.1" attributes must be the almost daily loss of human lives - not in cemeteries, smashanboomis or kabrasthans - but on Goa's treacherous roads?
have we ever paused to think who are all these people dying, and how their survivors must be living on ... ?
Portugal may be something nice to sing about, but (only by way of just
one example) road accidents here in Goa occur with sickening regularity
that even local newspapers routinely consign them to insignifanct space,
unless a whole - or almost pf a whole - family got wiped off the planet's face.
Are Goanetters, including Bernardo and Rui, listening?
Sirees, lets live in the present...
if this post won't do without a teaser ... "MERA BHARAT MAHAAN!"
regards/Valmiki
From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, September 05, 2003 11:52 PM Subject: [Goanet]BS on Goanet
>
> I will attack one snake at a time. I admire the tenacity of Bernardo and Rui and even though I donot agree with them, I defend
their right to deflect the insults and barbs they undergo especially the insults of our pundit or wise PHd. Some strutt along the
cybernet catwalk wiggling their behinds and while doing so, throw bits of their egotistic mindset. I do not need toknow someone
whois instructed and possesses a PHd but someone who is educated,knows how todiscourse especially with his fellowmen and have the
capacity of swaying the mind of his adversary.
>
>
> Edgar Martins
>
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