Road accidents are a major problem in India, with over 1214 occurring daily and 377 deaths daily. Two-wheelers account for 25% of deaths and 16 children die daily. The top three causes are drunken driving, rash driving, and bad infrastructure. There are also issues of untrained drivers, lack of emergency services, and unsafe vehicle and road design not meeting international standards. The government proposes a new road safety bill and various measures to address these problems, improve enforcement, and ensure safety of vulnerable road users. Everyone needs to work together to promote awareness and responsible driving behavior to reduce accidents.

1. By Muktamala Choudhury

2.  Human lives – how important are they?
 Road safety - Why is it so alarming?
 Possible solutions
 What Govt proposes to do?
 Road safety awareness drives
 What can I do?
 What we all should do?

3.  1214 road crashes occur every day in India.
 377 people die every day, equivalent to a jumbo jet crashing every day.
 Two people die every hour in Uttar Pradesh – State with maximum
number of road crash deaths.
 Tamil Nadu is the state with the maximum number of road crash injuries.
 Two wheelers account for 25% of total road crash deaths.
 16 children die on Indian roads daily.
 An estimated 1.2 million persons are grievously injured on the road every
year.
 Social cost of annual accidents in India has been estimated at Rs. 7 lacs.
 Top three causes of road accidents - Drunken driving, rash driving, bad
roads and infrastructure.
 30% of all drivers have fake driving licenses.
* Source: National Crime Records Bureau, Ministry of Road Transport & Highway, Law commission of India, Global status report on road
safety 2013

4. •Proportion of untrained drivers is
continually on the rise and a
positive driving culture is lacking.
Absence of
Professionalism in
driver training
•International companies launch
their vehicles on Indian Roads but
ignore safety measures that are
mandatory abroad. To name a few
these include: air bags, censors
and many more.
Safety norms not at
par with
International
Standards
•It is really unfaithful that the
authorities who have been
assigned the duty to look after
safety norms on Indian roads have
not performed up to their marks.
But, enhancing road safety is such
a complex task that we all should
shoulder the responsibility to
achieve success in this area.
Indifferent attitude
of authorities
•Roads lack any facility for
emergency services. In case of an
accident there is no provision for
first aid treatment near the
intersections. Victims have to cost
their lives as doctors and hospitals
are usually not nearby.
Lack of Emergency
Services
•Vehicles designed for Indian roads
are not up to the International
Standards. Safety norms are not
even close to international level.
Even if some luxury cars have
them, they run the pockets dry.
There is a need to look for viable
solution in this respect.
Unsafe Vehicle
Design

5. Replace the existing Motor
Vehicles Act with a strong
national road safety law and
ensure its implementation.
Improve investigation of
road accidents by using
latest technology and
establish a unified national
database.
Ensure strict enforcement
against drunken-driving
and provision of alcometers
in every Police station in
India.
Enact a Good Samaritan
Law to provide protection,
from legal hassles, to
bystanders and passers-by
who assist injured victims.
Ensure safety of Vulnerable
Road Users: Pedestrians,
Cyclists and Two Wheelers
Build safe road
infrastructure within cities.
Training of police to enable
road crash investigation via
scientific methods to
identify the factual causes
and consequences of road
crashes.

6. •Regulation of motor vehicles
•Road safety and traffic
management authority to be in
place.
•Unified vehicle registration and
driving license system
•Simplification of permit and
clearances
•A Road Safety law of international
standards.
Minister of Road Transport and
Highways, has proposed a new road
safety and highway bill for 2014. It has
been drafted in sync with the best
practices of the advanced nations - US,
Canada, Singapore, Japan, Germany
and the UK, and is going to cover:

7. Governments in States like
Uttar Pradesh where in
road accidents, 2 people
die every hour, have urged
children to spread the
awareness of road safety.
Responsible citizens should
drive safe and spread the
message amongst
communities.
Drunken driving should
not be encouraged in
homes, colleges and offices.
Private initiatives are being
undertaken by
Media/NGOs to help
promote the awareness to
people of all walks of life.

8. Drive
Responsibly.
Wear a Seatbelt
Give way to
Pedestrians on
the Pedestrian
Crossing.
Follow Traffic
Signals
Follow at a safe
distance.
Obey speed
limits.
Use mobile
phone
responsibly.

9. We as citizens of the country ,
should do our part of driving
safe and promote the awareness
amongst family and friends.
Children should be taught in
schools and homes about the
importance of road safety.
Driving schools should have a
better sense of responsibility and
inculcate civic sense to the
learners.