The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has released their annual report on road accidents in India, exposing a grim reality. Each hour marks 53 crashes and the loss of 17 lives, making road traffic injuries the eighth leading cause of death in India during 2018.
Global Analysis
As per the World Road Statistics (2018) by the World Road Federation, India tops the list of countries reporting the highest number of road accident deaths, followed by the US and China. Further, the WHO Global Report on Road Safety 2018 reveals that India accounts for approximately 11% of accident-related deaths worldwide.
National Analysis: Key Elements
Road accidents claim nearly 1.5 lakh lives annually in India. Despite the exponential growth of automobiles, the accidents and accident-related deaths from 2010 to 2018 have fallen dramatically compared to previous decades. However, road accident severity (the number of persons killed per 100 accidents) rose slightly by 0.6% in 2018 compared to 2017.
Major causes of such fatal incidents include over-speeding, which accounted for 64.4% of the persons killed, with the majority of accidents occurring on straight roads. On vehicle types, two-wheelers had the highest share in total accidents in 2018, accounting for 35.2%.
Analysing the age group most affected, young adults aged between 18 to 45 years made up nearly 69.6% of road accident victims, with minors representing 6.6% of the total deaths. When assessing the gender factor in these statistics, males comprised 86% of the total accident fatalities, while females made up around 14% in 2018.
| Criteria | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| Over-speeding | 64.4 |
| Accidents involving two-wheelers | 35.2 |
| Youth aged 18-45 affected | 69.6 |
| Minors involved in accidents | 6.6 |
State-wise Analysis
In 2017 and 2018, Tamil Nadu topped the list of states with the highest number of road accidents, while Uttar Pradesh recorded the most fatalities from road accidents. Delhi, the capital city, has seen the most significant number of road fatalities compared to other Indian cities.
The Importance of Road Safety
Road transport is the chief mode of transport in India, impacting not only the traffic share but also contributing significantly to the national economy. Yet, the negative externality of expansion in road network, motorization, and urbanization in the country is the increase in road accidents and road crash fatalities.
Road traffic injuries are among the leading causes of death, disabilities, and hospitalization in the country, imposing enormous socio-economic costs.
Global Measures for Road Safety
Various global initiatives aim to combat the high rate of road accidents. The Brasilia Declaration on Road Safety signed at the second Global High-Level Conference on Road Safety held in Brazil in 2015 aimed to halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents by 2030, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 3.6. Additionally, the United Nations declared 2010-2020 as the Decade of Action for Road Safety.
Efforts Undertaken by the Indian Government
The Indian government has also taken important steps to address the issue of road safety. It has signed the Brasilia declaration and committed to reduce the number of deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents.
Under the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act, 2019, penalties for traffic violations, defective vehicles, juvenile driving, and other offences have been increased. The Act also mandates a Motor Vehicle Accident Fund, which will provide compulsory insurance cover to all road users in India for certain types of accidents.
In addition, there are plans to establish a National Road Safety Board. The Act also provides protection for good samaritans, or people who aid accident victims on the road.
The Supreme Court established the three-member KS Radhakrishnan panel on road safety in 2014, dubbing roads in India as “giant killers.” The committee’s insights and recommendations continue to guide measures to improve road safety across the country.