Hit and Run Accident: After the Chakchari ISKCON Bridge hit and run case that happened in Ahmedabad some time ago, now another hit and run incident has come to light from Sindhu Bhawan Road in Ahmedabad. After ISKCON Bridge accused Tathya Patel, another Tathya Patel has come. Today on Sindhu Bhawan Road, another Nabiro Thar car was driven at full speed, in which a bike rider was crushed, this incident has once again spread anger among the people.
Today, Tathya Patel has proved to be another Nabiro in Ahmedabad. A Nabeera has taken the life of one person on Sindhubhan Road in Ahmedabad. In this hit and run incident, Nabiro ran away after hitting a Thar car and trampling a bike rider. This Thar car took the life of Jaideep Solanki. The special thing is that Jaideep Solanki died during treatment in Bhopal Trauma Center. A car with registration GJ-27-ED-0106 has been seized in the incident. The car driver absconded after the incident, although the police have seized the car.
Sindhubhan Road is becoming a den of anti-social elements every night and the police is maintaining silence. Many incidents have happened on Sindhubhan Road before. The police stories of CCTV network are once again proving to be hollow, the claims of the police about night patrolling are also proving to be hollow. Overspeed drive on SG Highway, SP Ring Road is causing pollution. Illegal activities of drug dealers often come to light on Sindhubhan Road. Even if Thar driver Nabiro is caught, his alcohol test may come negative. However, the Ahmedabad Police Commissioner should answer on this entire hit and run incident.
Why are most cases of hit and run in India only? What is the law in developed countries like America and Japan?
India is one of the countries with the highest number of hit and run cases and highest number of deaths. Every year about four and a half lakh road accidents occur in India, in which one and a half lakh people die. 25 to 30 thousand people lose their lives in hit and run cases.
Now the government has made strict rules in the Indian Judiciary Code 2023 in hit and run cases. Truck and bus drivers across the country took to the streets in protest against this law. Drivers from all the states including Delhi, UP, Bihar, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan remained on strike.
First of all let us understand the meaning of hit and run.
'Hit and run' is a type of road accident in which a driver flees the scene without stopping or trying to help, out of fear of being caught after a vehicle hits another vehicle, person or object.
For example, if a vehicle hits or runs over a person and then the driver runs away from the accident site without helping the injured person. This is a criminal matter. A law has been made to stop such incidents. But now a more stringent law has been made than before.
Difference between past and present, hit and run laws
President Draupadi Murmu assent to three new criminal justice bills recently passed by Parliament. These three bills have now become law. Soon these new laws will replace the old IPC laws. 'Hit and run', one of the provisions of the Indian Judiciary Code, is being challenged. Earlier, as per the old law, hit and run cases were prosecuted under sections 279, 304 A, 338, which carried a maximum punishment of two years for reckless driving causing death or endangering life. Not only this, the accused also gets bail immediately.
Now in the hit and run case, strict action will be taken against the accused under Section 104(2) of the Indian Judiciary Code. If a person dies due to careless or negligent driving and the accused driver flees the spot without informing the police, he can be punished with imprisonment up to 10 years. You may also have to pay a fine of Rs 7 lakh. Even if the accused driver does not flee from the accident site, he can be jailed for up to five years. Both the cases are non-bailable and the most important thing is that the accused driver will not get bail from the police station.
Why are hit and run cases increasing in India?
If we look at the latest data released by the Union Transport Ministry, we will find that 17 percent more hit and run cases have been reported in 2022 as compared to 2021. The death toll is 17 percent more than last year. The number of injured has also increased by 20 percent.
Since 2005, about four and a half lakh road accidents are occurring every year in India. Only in 2020, when the nationwide lockdown was imposed, the figure dropped below four lakh. At that time, 3 lakh 72 thousand 181 accidents occurred in the country, in which 1,38,383 people lost their lives.
Demands and arguments of the protesting driver
Motorists across the country have protested against the new provision of the law. All India Truck Drivers Organization has announced a strike. However, after talks with the central government, the strike has now been called off. Their demand is that their strike will continue until the government withdraws the new hit and run law. Till then he will not drive a bus or truck. The transport system has come to a standstill in many states. Transport traders are also opposing the new transport rules.
Protestors across the country have different arguments against the new provision of the law. He says what will happen to his family if he is jailed for five or ten years. A driver, who is protesting against the charge of fleeing from the spot after a road accident, says that if he does not run away from the spot, the mob will attack him and may even kill him. Often the traffic jam becomes serious after a road accident.
Some of the protesting drivers also claim that the government has made strict provisions in 'hit and run' cases like in foreign countries, but before that the government should pay attention to good road and transport system in India as well as abroad. needed.
What is the law in developed countries like America and Japan?
Hit and run cases also occur in developed countries like America and Japan. According to an article by American law firm Justia, in America it is a crime to leave the scene of a road accident under any circumstances. Different states have different laws here. Leaving the scene of an accident without notifying police can result in license revocation, jail time, and a fine of up to $20,000.
According to NHTSA, fatal hit-and-run cases in the US have increased by 89.4 percent from 2012 to 2021. Cases increased by 89.4 percent from 1469 in 2012 to 2783 in 2021. However, the number of hit-and-run deaths in the US is very low. The highest death toll was 2049 in the year 2016. However, if we look at all the big and small hit and run cases here, this figure is much higher than India. On an average, more than seven lakh cases are registered every year.
According to the Road Traffic Act in Japan, if a car driver hits a person on the road and that person is seriously injured or dies, the accused faces a maximum of 7 years in prison or a fine of up to 1 million yen. There may be a fine. … However, if the other person is not seriously injured he may be exempted from punishment. Compared to the US, Germany and France, Japan has very few road accidents. Here in the year 2020, only 3416 people lost their lives in road accidents.
India is far behind compared to developed countries like America, Japan, Norway, Sweden. The number of deaths due to hint and run is very high here. According to experts, carelessness and irresponsible behavior are the main reasons behind most hit and run cases in India. Most people do not follow the rules of the road. Like wearing seat belts, overspeeding and drunk driving.