INDIA’S ROAD SAFETY : NATIONAL
NEWS : On the challenges to road safety in India
| Explained
WHAT’S IN THE NEWS ?
What
does the ‘India Status Report on Road Safety 2024’ state with respect to
meeting international goals of reducing road accident fatalities? Which States
have the lowest rates of road accident deaths? What is a crash surveillance
system?
India Status Report on Road Safety
2024 (IIT Delhi, TRIP Centre)
- Objective: Assess India's road safety
using FIR data from six states and compliance audits with Supreme Court
road safety directives.
Key Findings:
·
State Disparities:
- High traffic death rates in Tamil
Nadu, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh.
- Lower death rates in West Bengal and
Bihar.
- Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya
Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu account for nearly 50% of
traffic fatalities.
·
Vulnerable Groups: Pedestrians,
cyclists, and motorised two-wheeler riders are most affected. Trucks are
responsible for the majority of accidents.
·
Global Comparison: India's road
safety is worse than developed countries, with a sharp increase in road
accident deaths compared to nations like Sweden.
Issues:
- Inadequate national road safety data
systems.
- Limited auditing of highways; few
states meet audit requirements.
- Lack of basic traffic safety measures
(calming, markings, signage).
- Absence of a national crash-level
database; reliance on aggregated police records.
- Low helmet usage in rural areas and
poor trauma care facilities.
Concerns:
- Minimal progress in reducing
fatalities.
- Unlikely to meet UN Decade of Action
for Road Safety goal to halve traffic deaths by 2030.
Recommendations:
- Education: Road safety should be treated
as a basic survival skill.
- Governance: Central and state governments
must prioritize road safety interventions.
- Data Systems: Establish a
national fatal crash database with public access.
- Tailored Strategies: State-specific
strategies are essential for addressing unique challenges in road safety.
Source : https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/road-safety-in-india-challenges/article68623486.ece#:~:text=Basic%20traffic%20safety%20measures%2C%20including,challenges%20faced%20by%20different%20States.