E-way may become zero fatality corridor by 2020 

Mumbai: The Pune-Mumbai Expressway may become zero fatality corridor by 2020 as the Public Health Department of State government and Save Life Foundation (SLF) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
 
SLF is an NGO working with an aim of improving road safety emergency care across India. The Mumbai-Pune Expressway is a 94.5 km controlled access highway that connects Mumbai and Pune which was fully operationalised in 2002. Around 60,000 vehicles use the Expressway every day.

As per the MoU, the health department and SLF will work together to improve trauma care systems. The SLF, subject to availability of funds, will even support the health department by funding certain interventions in trauma care. According to the government resolution, the SLF will undertake research and studies to recommend measures to strengthen emergency medical care for victims of road crashes that take place on the Expressway. The health department and SLF will jointly monitor the progress of the project.

The objective of the MoU is to reduce road crash deaths on the Expressway from an annual average of 135 to near zero level by 2020, SLF is in the process to build a replicable model for preventing loss of life on Indian roads. To achieve the project objective, SLF undertakes an evidence-based approach to identify causes of road crashes and then implements counter-measures across the 5 Es of road safety; Enactment, Engineering, Enforcement, Emergency Care and Education to reduce or eliminate the causes. 

The SLF will carry out a survey about the exact location and frequency of infrastructure factors that are causing crashes and deaths on the expressway and propose counter measures to eliminate those risk factors.

According to SLF, there are 2,150 spots (categorised into 15 factors) with infrastructure risk factors along the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. After the survey by SLF, the work was done by MSRDC on the Expressway.
 
The SLF will help the government to take better care for accident victims. According to SLF survey, ambulances were available on the Expressway, but they were owned by private hospitals and 2/3rd of accident victims were transported to three hospitals beyond the Expressway. The SLF is working to improve the quality of ambulatory care. Now, the government has agreed to station five 108 ambulances on the Expressway, which will take the injured to a hospital of their choice or a government hospital. These ambulances will be better equipped enabling them to provide a better quality of care through Advance Life Support (ALS) equipment.

“Health department and SLF have agreed to jointly undertake research studies based on data and records available with the department to develop evidence-based interventions to reduce fatalities and injuries on the Expressway,” said an official from the Public Health Department.

The health department will facilitate SLF’s co-ordination with 108 ambulance services, government hospitals in and around the Expressway, and any other agency or service under its jurisdiction to obtain any data or statistic that may be relevant to the project.

According to reports, in 2017, a total of 89 accidents took place, killing 105 people. In 2016, as many as 97 accidents led to deaths of 151 individuals.

Causes of accidents

• 50 pc of all crashes result in a fatality or serious injury
• 27 pc accidents occurred due to poor infrastructure
• While 36 pc occur due to human factors 
• 65 pc of crashes occur between midnight and noon

Deaths 

• In 2016.....................151 
• In 2017    .....................105