A road safety quartet and the road ahead

Context

In spite of several years of policymaking to improve road safety, India remains among the worst­performing countries in this area with a toll of 1,47,913 lives lost to road traffic accidents in 2017 as per Ministry of Road Transport and Highways statistics. The United Nations is holding a high­level meeting on Global Road Safety on June 30 and July 1, 2022 to review the progress and challenges.

What are the new findings on road safety published in the Lancet?

• Preventive Interventions- A new analytical series on road safety worldwide, published by The Lancet, proposes that India and other countries could cut accident­ related deaths by 25 to 40% based on evidence that preventive interventions produce good outcomes when applied to four well­ known risk factors — high speed, driving under the influence of alcohol, not using proper helmets, not wearing seat­belts and not using child restraints
• Maximum Burden- Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC) bear the maximum burden of road fatalities and injuries, with high economic costs — an average of three to five per cent of GDP — suffered by these countries in 2014.
• Lack of Uniformity - India amended its law on motor vehicles in 2019, but its implementation by State governments is not uniform or complete.