Road Safety in India- Reasons and Impact- Explained Pointwise

The Ministry of Road Transport & Highway (MoRTH) & the NGO SaveLIFE Foundation has released a joint report shedding light on the gaps in road safety in India. India ranks first in the world in road accidents fatalities. Its numbers are also far ahead of the second & third ranked countries (China accounts for just 36% & USA for just 25% of India’s total road deaths).

Key Findings of the Report:

• The report highlights India’s slow progress toward meeting international goals of reducing road accident fatalities.
• The report also emphasises on the organic connection between road construction, mobility, and the need for a differentiated approach to mitigate road accidents.
• Key observations of the Report:

Road engineering	59% of all road accidents fatalities do not involve any traffic violation, indicating that road engineering is one of the biggest contributory factors for deaths. According to the report, damaged crash barriers, absent or faded pavement marking, unprotected hard structures, damaged or wrong signage, and inadequate illuminations are among the top 20 most common engineering issues on the road.
Crash-prone Sites	Most accidents are concentrated in known locations, including specific road stretches & crash-prone spots (58% of the total deaths were recorded on the crash-prone locations). The report suggested that if the govt schemes & budgets are directed toward such locations, a significant number of deaths could be prevented.
States with road accidents	UP (20 districts) > Tamil Nadu (19) > Maharashtra (11) > Rajasthan (8)

Findings of India Status Report on Road Safety (2024):

What are the reasons for high number of Road accidents in India?

India’s high rate of road accidents is a complex issue resulting from the interplay of multiple systemic, behavioral, and infrastructural factors.

1. Human & Behavioral Factors:
   1. Reckless Driving: Speeding, aggressive overtaking, jumping signals, and lane indiscipline. Over speeding is the major cause and it accounts for 71.2% of the persons killed due to road accidents in India. Driving on the wrong side is the second reason accounting for 5.4% deaths.
   2. Driving Under Influence: Widespread drink-driving, especially among commercial and private vehicle drivers.
   3. Driver Fatigue: Long, uninterrupted shifts for commercial drivers (trucks, buses) leading to loss of concentration.
   4. Lack of Training & Licensing Lapses: Corruption in driving tests, poor training standards, and fake licenses.
   5. Non-use of Safety Gear: Helmets (especially among two-wheeler riders) and seat belts are often ignored.
2. Vehicular & Mechanical Factors:
   1. Poor Vehicle Maintenance: Old vehicles, faulty brakes, worn-out tires, and inadequate lighting.
   2. Overloading: Especially in trucks, buses, and three-wheelers, affecting stability and braking.
   3. Poor Safety Standards: Many vehicles lack basic safety features like airbags, ABS, or crashworthy structures. Crash tests carried out by the Global New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) in 2014 revealed that some of India’s top-selling car models failed the UN’s frontal impact crash test. 
3. Road Infrastructure & Design Deficiencies:
   1. Poor Road Design & Engineering: Faulty road engineering leading to blackspots, poor designing of junctions, inadequate signage, haphazard planning of state highways and city roads are also some major factors causing road accidents.
   2. Mixed Traffic Flow: High-speed vehicles share space with slow-moving vehicles, cyclists, and even animals on the same road.
   3. Uncontrolled Access Points: Too many entry/exit points on highways without proper merging lanes.
4. Systemic & Governance Issues:
   1. Weak Enforcement of Laws: Corruption, understaffed traffic police, and inconsistent penalty systems reduce deterrence.
   2. Lack of Emergency Medical Care: Delayed ambulance services and inadequate trauma care increase fatalities.
   3. Lack of Golden Hour Treatment: Lack of rapid trauma care on highways leads to high fatalities.
   4. Delayed Implementation of Safety Laws: The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 introduced stricter penalties, but enforcement is uneven across states. 

What are the impacts of road accidents in India?

1. Loss of Life and Disability: India has one of the world’s highest numbers of road accident fatalities (over 1.5 lakh deaths annually). Survivors often suffer severe, life-altering disabilities (spinal cord injuries, amputations, brain damage). 
2. Economic Burden: The World Bank estimates road accidents cost India 3-5% of its GDP annually. This includes:
   • Medical Costs: Immediate emergency care, long-term treatment, and rehabilitation.
   • Loss of Productivity: Victims’ lost income and reduced earning capacity, plus caregivers’ lost work time.
   • Administrative & Legal Costs: Police, insurance, and court expenses. 
3. Gender-Specific Impact- According to World Bank’s report “Traffic Crash Injuries and Disabilities: The Burden on Indian Society 2021”, about 50% of Indian women were severely affected by the decline in their household income after a crash.
4. Increased Poverty: Medical expenses and loss of income push millions of households below the poverty line each year.
5. Overburdened Courts: Millions of accident-related cases clog the judicial system, leading to long delays in compensation.

What measures have been taken in India to reduce road accidents?

1. Formulation of National Road Safety Policy (NRSP), 2010: The policy was formulated based on the recommendations of S. Sundar Committee. Some important highlights are:

1. Establishment of Road Safety Information Database.
   
2. Periodical review of road design standards and Vehicle safety standards.
   
3. Creation of a National Road Safety Council to supervise matters related to road safety.

2. Establishment of District Road Safety Committees (DRSC): Established under the Section 215 of the Motor Vehicle Act of 1988. These have been entrusted with creation of a district road safety plan and an emergency medical plan.

3. Passage of Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019: GoI has tried to enhance the road safety measures through this act.

1. Creating a National Road Safety Board to advise the government on traffic management.
2. Higher fines for traffic rule violations.
   
3. Recalling defective vehicles which are dangerous for the environment and people.
   
4. Creation of a ‘Solatium Fund’ for victims of hit-and-run accidents.
   
5. Punishment to the owner for violations committed by Juvenile.
   
6. Automated testing for driver’s licence and fitness certificate (FC).
   
7. Protection of Good Samaritans from civil and criminal liability.
   

Read More- Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019

4. Other technical initiatives: Further more, other technical initiatives have been taken which are mentioned below:

1. Front and side crash tests for new car models.
   
2. New cars are required to have airbags fitted as standard.
   
3. Installation of Roadside Safety Crash barriers and speed warning boards.
   
4. Rectification of identified Black spots.

What measures must further be adopted to reduce road accidents in India?

1. Indian Vehicles safety features must conform to global best standards: The European Union’s General Safety Regulation which prescribes features like advanced emergency braking technology and intelligent speed assistance must be adopted in India.

2. Implementation of the important recommendations of the KS Radhakrishnan panel on Road Safety: The important ones are:
(a) Compulsory audit on road safety by the state governments.
(b) Creating awareness among people on road safety rules, insurance policies.
(c) Providing enough compensation to victims on time.

3. Separation of lanes for different types of Vehicles: There should be separation of lanes for 2-Wheelers and heavy vehicles. 

4. Strict implementation of the existing rules: The enhanced fines for traffic rules violations will also help in reduction of road accidents in India.

5. Database for fatal crashes: A national database for fatal crashes should be established. The central and the state governments must undertake efforts towards it.

Conclusion: The approach to road safety has to be proactive, rather than reactive. The public has as much role to play as the Government. A concerted and focused effort from both the government and the citizens can help bring down road accidents and help save precious lives.