In a recent development, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways made a startling revelation about the fatalities due to road accidents in India. This information was provided in a written response to a question raised in the Lok Sabha. According to the data shared, the Ministry has introduced guidelines to enhance road safety. The regulations involve conducting road safety audits at every stage, namely design, construction, and operation & management, conducted by independent road safety professionals.
Unpacking the Statistics
The minister reported that road accidents claimed nearly 47,984 victims on National Highways, including expressways, in 2020, which showed a decrease from 53,872 casualties in 2019. Globally, road accidents result in approximately 1.3 million deaths and 50 million injuries annually. Disturbingly, 11% of these fatalities occur in India.
The Causes Behind Road Accidents
The primary factors contributing to mishaps on National Highways include various aspects such as the vehicle’s design and condition, road engineering, speeding, drunk driving or under influence of drugs, violation of traffic rules, mobile phone usage while driving, and more.
Impact of Road Accidents on Economy and Society
The socio-economic implications of road traffic accidents are substantial. For instance, in 2019, it ranged from USD 15.71 billion to USD 38.81 billion, representing 0.55–1.35% of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It places a heavy burden on households, pushing non-poor families into poverty and exacerbating the financial strain on those already impoverished. Each road accident death amounts to a loss of almost seven months’ household income for poor families, trapping them in a vicious cycle of poverty and debt.
The Plight of Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs)
VRUs bear a disproportionately large burden of road accidents, making up more than half of all fatal and serious injuries. This group primarily includes poor, working-age males. Daily wage workers and those employed as casual labourers in informal activities are considered more vulnerable compared to those engaged in regular work.
Gender-Specific Effects
A different narrative unfolds when we look at the gender-specific impact of road accidents. Women in affected families, regardless of their financial status, often shoulder increased responsibilities, take up extra work, and become primary caregivers. Roughly 50% of women reported a significant dip in their household income after a crash.
Rural-Urban Disparity
Further widening the rural-urban divide, low-income rural households (56%) suffered a steeper decline in income compared to urban households (29.5%).
Initiatives to Improve Road Safety
Several critical measures have been taken worldwide and nationally to improve road safety. The Brasilia Declaration on Road Safety (2015), signed by India, aims to halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents by 2030. Domestically, acts like The Motor Vehicles Amendment Act (2019), The Carriage by Road Act (2007) and initiatives like the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) aim to bring about substantial changes in the prevailing road safety scenario.
Charting the Path Ahead
There is an urgent need to view road safety as a public health issue rather than merely a transportation problem. The focus should be to instigate behavioural change in society, prioritizing the design of roads through comprehensive auditing before undertaking any related actions. While ensuring safety, priority must be given to the most susceptible segment of the population. Safeguarding the most vulnerable will, by extension, result in the safety of all road users.
