MADAN B.LOKUR,J. - (1.) In this petition under Article 32 of the Constitution Dr. S. Rajaseekaran, an orthopaedic surgeon, a public spirited citizen and President of the Indian Orthopaedic Association has, inter alia, prayed for enforcement of road safety norms and appropriate treatment of accident victims.
(2.) The petitioner states that in his capacity as Chairman and Head of Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Ganga Hospital, Coimbatore, he witnesses daily, the acute loss of life and limbs caused by road accidents. He suggests that practical measures need to be taken in a time-bound and expeditious manner to give effect to legislations, reports and recommendations for ensuring that the loss of lives due to road accidents is minimized. The petitioner estimates that 90% of the problem of deaths due to road accidents is the result of a lack of strict enforcement of safety rules on roads and strict punishment for those who do not obey rules. The petitioner has relied upon data published in December 2011 by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in its publication captioned 'Road Accidents in India 2010' to indicate that the number of road accidents is increasing every year and that unfortunately more than half the victims are in the economically active age group of 25-65 years.
(3.) Since the petitioner has no personal interest in the matter, the writ petition filed by him was taken up as a public interest litigation.;