Road Safety in India

REFERENCE NEWS:

• India witnessed 53 accidents and 19 deaths every hour, according to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) report titled ‘Road Accidents in India: 2022’ released recently.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT:

REASONS FOR ROAD ACCIDENTS:

• Demand Vs capacity mismatch:
  • Increasing urbanisation and economic growth are not translating to a proportionate increase in the capacity of roads in India, hence the congestion of vehicles, which is prone to accidents.
• Infrastructural deficits:
  • Poor condition of roads and vehicles, blind spots, low emphasis on structural change such as raising engineering standards for roads, signages, signals.
• Negligence:
  • Lack of precautions by road users such as not wearing helmets, triple-riding, over speeding, drunk driving, distraction while driving like talking over mobile phones.
  • For instance, in 2022, over speeding accounted for 72.3 percent of the total road accidents
• Inadequate driver training:
  • In 2018, 26% of all road accidents were caused by drivers who did not have a valid license or were driving with a learner’s license. Moreover, high number of accidents indicate that the current licensing mechanism in India is unreliable.
• Poor enforcement of laws:
  • India amended its law on motor vehicles in 2019, but its implementation by State governments is not uniform or complete. The focus of State governments, remains conventional, with an emphasis on user behaviour (drivers and other road users), education and uneven enforcement.
• Lack of accountability:
  • The MV Act stipulates only a fine up to one lakh for failure to follow norms and stipulations by the designated authority, contractor, consultant or concessionaire, leading to death or disability, and there is little evidence that even this has been enforced after a public inquiry.
• Weak post-accident measures:
  • India lacks a technically competent investigation arm that could determine the cause of accidents. This results in accidents repeating at same spots.

SIGNIFICANCE OF ROAD SAFETY:

• Socio-economic costs:
  • Road traffic injuries are one of the leading causes of death, disabilities and hospitalization in the country, imposing huge socio-economic costs.
  • As per the World Bank's estimation, India loses 3.14% of its GDP due to road accidents, most of which are preventable.
• Working age population is the most vulnerable group:
  • According to the ‘Road Accidents in India: 2022' report, an age-wise breakdown of road crash data shows that most of those who died were in the 18–45 age bracket (66.5%).
• Differential impact:
  • A 2021 World Bank study found that road crashes disproportionately impact poor households in India. Over 75% of these households surveyed reported a decline in income due to such incidents, stemming from loss of income, high medical costs, and limited access to social safety nets.
• Ever increasing road infrastructure:
  • Road transport is the dominant mode of transport in India. With increasing population growth and economic development, the number of vehicles and the length of road network have increased tremendously over the years. Road safety needs to keep pace with this growth.
• Challenge against attaining SDGs:
  • The persistently high annual death toll brings into question the country’s ability to meet Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.6, which aims to halve the fatalities and injuries from road traffic accidents by 2030.

WAY FORWARD:

• Ensure safer road infrastructure:
  • Revise safety standards for both rural and urban roads, aligning them with international practices but considering Indian traffic conditions.
• Use of technology
  • Continuing application of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) under a national framework to establish a safe and efficient transport system should be encouraged.
• Raise awareness about road safety issues
  • The Government should increase its efforts to promote awareness about the various aspects of road safety, the social and economic implications of road accidents and what needs to be done to curb the rising menace of road accidents.
• Safer vehicles and drivers:
  • The Government should ensure vehicles, both motorized and non-motorized, incorporate safety features from design to maintenance, aligning with international standards.
  • The Government must strengthen the system of driver licensing and training to improve the competence and capability of drivers.
• Research for road safety:
  • The Government should encourage increased activity in programmes of road safety research by identifying priority areas, funding research in those areas adequately and establishing centers of excellence in research and academic institutions.
• National road safety plan by Bureau of Police Research and Development suggests the following:
  • A dedicated agency to strictly enforce traffic rules, especially on National Highways.
  • A proposed Road Safety Police for national and state highways.
  • Leveraging AI techniques for efficient highway management and communication.
• Emergency medical services for road accidents
  • The government should ensure that all people involved in road accidents benefit from speedy and effective trauma care and management.
• KS Radhakrishnan panel recommendations:
  • The KS Radhakrishnan panel on road safety, established by the Supreme Court in 2014, recommended:
    • Banning alcohol sales on all highways to curb drunk driving.
    • Enforcing helmet laws across states.
    • Implementing road safety audits by states for safe road infrastructure.

CONCLUSION:

• Speeding, drunken driving, adherence to traffic rules, road infrastructure, and enforcement mechanisms are major sectors that need improvement. Apart from government agencies, citizens of the nation also need to contribute by adhering to the traffic rules and ensuring responsible driving to contribute to the government's mission of making the road safer.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Q. "Road safety is a critical development priority for India, impacting health, wellbeing, and economic growth". In this context, discuss the significance of road safety and suggest measures to make the roads safer.(10 marks, 150 words)