In memory of those killed and injured in road accidents and to lift the spirits of the affected families, friends and loved ones, the World Remembrance Day was observed today. The Road Safety and Transport Authority (RSTA) lighted a thousand butter lamps.
According to reports with the RSTA, more than a thousand road accidents are reported annually in the country, and more than a hundred people lose their lives in road crashes every year.
“In the 1990s mechanical failure was an issue. It played a big role in traffic accidents. But now it is more of human errors where we don’t take safety seriously. Drink driving is a major issue, and speeding is another cause. If you slow, you can always avoid accidents but when you are speeding, a small mistake can cost a life. And I think, for Bhutan, with better roads people are speeding and therefore, it is causing accidents,” said Pemba Wangchuck, the Director-General of RSTA.
The authority is also sensitizing drivers including those in the civil service on road safety. However, not being able to monitor every single driver is one of the challenges that the authority is faced with.
“We cannot monitor every car or every driver, I think each one of us must monitor ourselves and also we must ensure that there is peer pressure to have strict road discipline. I think each one of us as drivers, must have a responsibility and put safety first, our own safety and others’ safety. We cannot have reckless drivers especially because the roads are better. Each one of us as drivers should take precautions first and make safety our priority,” the Director-General added.
Today, there are more than one hundred thousand vehicles in the country.
Pema Seldon Tshering
