Every day, we wake up to the tragic news of yet another fatal accident on Goa’s roads. The pain is raw, the grief is real, and yet, little changes. Yesterday, a young Under Secretary from the Law Department lost his life in a horrifying accident at Guirim. And today, two more lives were snuffed out in a crash at Bethora. These aren’t just numbers — these are sons, daughters, fathers, and mothers. These are Goans. And we must ask ourselves: how many more?
How did we reach a stage where road deaths have become routine? Where obituaries outnumber achievements? When did Goan roads turn into corridors of death?
Goa may be small in size, but our road accident statistics are disproportionately large. Speeding, reckless driving, poor infrastructure, lack of enforcement, and plain carelessness — it’s a deadly cocktail. Everyone blames someone else. The government blames the people for not wearing helmets. The people blame the government for potholes. The traffic police blame drunk driving. And the cycle continues, with the funeral pyres never cooling.
Let’s face the hard truth — both the government and citizens are failing.
On one hand, the state’s infrastructure is woefully inadequate for the traffic volume it now sees. Roads designed for a sleepy coastal town are now packed with tourist vehicles, delivery vans, two-wheelers, and oversized SUVs. Basic road markings are missing in many areas. Dividers appear and disappear without warning. Sharp turns and blind spots are unmarked. At night, inadequate street lighting turns entire stretches of roads into death traps.
And then there is enforcement — or the lack of it. Traffic rules are flouted with impunity because everyone knows the chance of getting caught is next to zero. Over-speeding is rampant. Drunk driving remains a menace. Helmets are still optional in many riders’ minds. Most shockingly, underage driving is disturbingly common. How often do we see teenagers zipping around without a license — until tragedy strikes?
But let’s not pretend that all the blame lies with the authorities. As citizens, we too have blood on our hands. How many of us wear helmets just to get past a checkpoint, only to remove them a few meters down the road? How often do we overtake recklessly, jump signals, or text while driving? And how many of us speak up when a friend chooses to drink and drive?
The loss of the young Under Secretary is particularly striking. Here was a young man, likely dedicated to public service, with his life ahead of him — gone in an instant.
Today’s deaths at Bethora only compound the grief. There is no consolation for families who must now deal with the gaping hole left behind. No compensation can restore what has been lost.
It is time to treat road safety not as an inconvenience but as a priority — as a crisis. The government must undertake an urgent audit of accident-prone zones and invest in redesigning them. Signage, lighting, speed-control mechanisms like rumble strips and cameras must become standard. Public transport must be made safer and more reliable to reduce the number of private vehicles on roads.
At the same time, the Traffic Police must be empowered and made more accountable. Random checkpoints won’t cut it — consistent enforcement, with body cameras and penalties that actually pinch, are the need of the hour. Repeat offenders should face suspension of licenses and mandatory counselling.
On the citizen front, road safety education must begin in schools. Riding and driving must be treated as skills with serious responsibilities — not rites of passage at 18. Most importantly, we must develop a culture of respect — for traffic rules, for pedestrians, for fellow drivers, and most of all, for life.
Because in the end, every life lost is a loss for all of us.
For God’s sake — for Goa’s sake — stop the accidents. Let’s not wait for it to hit home before we wake up.
