Road Accidents in India

The Prime Minister expressed condolences a tragic road accident occurred in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, leading to multiple fatalities and injuries.

India’s Alarming Road Safety Statistics

• India records the highest number of road accident deaths globally.
  In 2023, India reported:
  • 4.80 lakh road accidents
  • 1.72 lakh fatalities (a 2.6% increase from 2022)
  • Road fatality rate: 250 per 10,000 km of road (higher than China, USA, and Australia)
• Daily average:
  • 1,317 crashes and 474 deaths
  • That translates to 55 crashes and 20 deaths every hour
• Crash Severity (fatalities per 100 crashes):
  • Marginal decline: 36.5 (2022) ? 36.0 (2023)

Key Causes Behind High Road Accidents

• Human Behavior
  • Over-speeding caused 68.1% of deaths in 2023
  • Reckless driving, distracted driving, drunk driving, and rule violations (helmet/seatbelt neglect)
• Poor Infrastructure
  • Roads with poor lighting, potholes, absence of pedestrian facilities, faulty traffic designs
  • Lack of safe pedestrian crossings, speed-calming measures, and functional underpasses
• Lack of Real-Time Crash Monitoring
  • No national-level crash database
  • Inadequate data quality undermines policymaking, accident analysis, and local interventions
• Vehicle Deficiencies
  • Many vehicles lack standard safety equipment such as airbags or ABS
  • As per Global NCAP (2014), India’s top-selling cars failed UN frontal crash tests
• Low Awareness and Weak Enforcement
  • Low public awareness on road safety and safe driving practices
  • Inadequate enforcement of existing laws, particularly in semi-urban and rural areas

Government Road Safety Initiatives

• Policy and Legislative Measures
  • National Road Safety Policy (NRSP), 2010: Based on S. Sundar Committee
  • Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019:
    • Introduced steep fines for violations
    • Compulsory third-party insurance
    • Enhancements in driver licensing norms and vehicle fitness
• Other Legislative Acts:
  • Carriage by Road Act (2007)
  • Control of National Highways Act (2000)
  • NHAI Act (1998)
• Supreme Court Interventions
  • Set up Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan Committee (2014)
    • Banned liquor outlets on highways
    • Recommended helmet laws and mandatory road safety education
• SC mandated creation of:
  • • State Road Safety Councils
    • District-level Committees
    • Dedicated Road Safety Funds
    • Inclusion of road safety in school curriculum

Way Forward

• Crash-level data digitization: For real-time detection, analysis, and evidence-based policymaking
• Designated urban transport authorities in every city to improve planning and safety
• Smart vehicle regulations: Mandate crash tests and promote intelligent driver assistance systems
• Behavioral change through education and media: Integrate road safety in formal education and civic platforms
• Public-Private Collaboration: Encourage tech solutions like AI-enabled traffic management, wearable crash detectors