Road traffic accidents are a leading cause of injuries and deaths in India. In 2017 alone, there were over 4.6 lakh accidents which resulted in 1.47 lakh deaths. Road accidents can be prevented through measures targeting human factors like promoting safety equipment usage and traffic rules compliance, environmental factors like improving road infrastructure and traffic management, and vehicle factors such as enforcing vehicle safety standards. The Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill 2019 aims to strengthen road safety in India through stricter penalties for traffic violations, compulsory insurance, and other initiatives.
2. What is an Accident
1.An unexpected, unplanned occurrence that may involve injury.
2. Unpremeditated event resulting in recognizable damage
(WHO Advisory Group)
3. Occurrence in a sequence of events, which usually produces
unintended injury,death or property damage.
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3. Classification of Accidents
1. Road Traffic Accidents
2. Domestic Accidents-
Drowning,Burns,Falls,Poisoning,Injuries from sharp
,Bites and other injuries from animals
3. Industrial Accidents
4. Railway Accidents
5. Aircraft crash
6. Maritime accidents
7. Violence
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4. Measurement of Problems
1. Mortality
Proportional mortality rate
Number of deaths per million population
Death rate per 1000 (or 1 lakh) registered vehicles per
year.
Number of accidents or fatalities as a ratio of number of
vehicles per km or passengers per km.
Deaths of vehicles occupants per thousand vehicles per
year.
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5. Cont….
2.Morbidity
Based on Abbreviated injury scale
1. Serious injuries
2. Slight injuries
3.Disability- temporary or permanent ,partial/total
International Classification of Functioning,Disability and
Health (ICF) by WHO
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6. Road Accidents : A Snapshot
Road Accidents - a leading cause of Injuries,
Deaths & Disabilities.
India : 2017
• Accidents – 4,64,910
• Deaths – 1,47,913
• Person Injured – 4,70,975
In Every Day :
1,274 Accidents /day and 405 Persons killed/day
In Every Hour:
53 Accidents /hr and 17 Persons killed /hr
Source:Road traffic Accidents in India 2017
www.morth.nic.in
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11. Ministry of Road transport and highways
www.morth.nic.in
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12. Risk Factors
1.Speed:
Pedestrians has 90% chance of surviving a car crash at
30Km/h or below.
Reducing respiratory problems associated with car
emissions
2.Drink – Driving:Blood Alcohol Concentration(BAC)of
0.05g/dl or below reducing the alcohol related crashes.
Enforcing Sobriety Check points & Random breath testing
can reduce 20%of alcohol related crashes.
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13. Risk Factors Cont…
3. Motor cycle Helmets: Reduce the risk of death by 40% and risk of
severe injury by 70%
Strict Laws should be enforced
4.Seat –Belts and Child Restriants:
Reduces risk of fatality among Front seat passengers by 40-50%
Rear –seat passengers by 25-75%
5. Mobile Phone usage - 4 times the risk of crash increases
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14. 6.Factors influencing exposure to risk:
Rapid motorization
Demographic factors
Transport, land use and road network planning
Increased need for travel
Choice of less safe forms of travel
7.Risk factors influencing crash involvement:
Speed
Pedestrians and cyclists
Young drivers and riders
Alcohol
Medicinal and recreational drugs
Driver fatigue
Hand-held mobile telephones
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Risk factors – cont..
15. OtheRisk Factors – cont....Risk
Factors:
8.Risk factors influencing injury severity:
Lack of in-vehicle crash protection
Non-use of crash helmets by two-wheeled vehicle
users
Non-use of seat-belts and child restraints in motor
vehicles
Roadside objects
9.Risk factors influencing post-crash injury
outcome:
Pre-hospital factors
Hospital care factors
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16. Reasons for more Accidents in
Developing countries
Large numbers of pedestrians and animals share the
common roadway
Large number of old , poorly maintained vehicles
Large numbers of buses often overloaded
Large number of motor cycles, scooters and mopeds
Low driving standards
Widespread disregard of traffic rules
Defective roads, poor street lighting, defective layout of
cross roads and speed breakers
Unusual behaviour of men and animals
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19. RTA: Epidemiological Triad Triad
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Agent: Vehicles
Environment:
Physical
status of
Road
Social context
Host:
Individual at
Risk
20. Age
Sex
Education
Medical Conditions
- Sudden illness
- Heart attack
- Impaired vision
Psychosocial factors
- lack of experience
- risk-taking
- impulsiveness
- defective judgements
- aggressiveness
- poor perception
- family dysfunction
Lack of body protection
- helmets
- safety belts
Relating to road
defective, narrow roads
defective lay out of cross roads and
speed breakers
poor lighting
lack of familiarity
Relating to vehicle
over speeding
bad maintenance
large numbers
overloading
low driving standards
Bad weather
Mixed traffic
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21. Increased vulnerability
and/or risk factors
Precipitating
factors
Emotional tension
Alcohol and drugs
Precipitating
factors
Special traffic
conditions
Social pressure
Stolen vehicles
ACCIDENT
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22. Prevention of RTA Human factors Vehicle factors Environmental
factors
Pre-crash Driver experience,
fitness to drive,
driver behavior
Vehicle maintenance
& features(
electronic stability
control)
Transport systems,
road engineering,
visibility
Crash Use of protective
equipment (helmets,
seat belts, child
restraints)
Vehicle design for
impact protection
Fixed objects at
roadside, safely
barriers
Post-crash Preexisting
conditions,
emergency response
care, rehabilitation
Entrapment, fire Location, speed of
emergency response,
access to trauma
care
The Haddon matrix
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26. Prevention
Data collection
Safety education
Promotion of safety measures
Alcohol and other drugs
Primary care
Elimination of causative factors
Law enforcement
Rehabilitation
Accident research
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27. 1.Data collection
Basic reporting of all cases
Supplementation by national surveys
Eliciting the data about conditions and
environmental factors leading to accidents
Making Police investigation
of an accident mandatory
Vahan NR e services - www.vahan.nic.in
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28. 2.Safety education
‘If Accident is a disease, Education is its vaccine’
Initiated at the school level
Educate regarding risk factors, traffic rules, safety
precautions and first aid.
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29. 3.Promotion of safety measures
Seat belts
Safety helmets
Safety measures for children
Others like door locks, proper vehicle design ,air bags
and so on
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30. 4.Alcohol and other drugs
Abstinence from alcohol and depressant drugs before
and during driving
Barbiturates , amphetemines and Cannabis –impairs
driving ability
Education
Law enforcement
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31. 5.Primary care
Planning, organization and management of
trauma and emergency care services improved
At accident site --Transportation-Hospital
Skill of the Health Care Provider
Accident Services Organization and one fully
equipped specialised trauma care hospital in all
major cities
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32. 6.Elimination of Causative factors
Improve roads
Impose speed limits
Mixed Traffic
Bad weather
Mark danger zones
Improve the Vehicle Conditions
Drunk and drive
Lack of body protection
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33. 7.Enforcement of laws
Driving tests
Medical fitness to drive
Speed limits
Compulsory wearing of seat belts
Compulsory wearing of helmets
Checking for blood alcohol concentration
Road side breath analyzer,
Regular and periodic inspection of vehicles,
Periodic examination of drivers above the age of 55 yrs .
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34. 8.Rehabilitation services
Medical rehabilitation
Social rehabilitation
Occupational rehabilitation
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35. 9.Accident research
New field called Accidentology
1.Gathering information about Type, extent &
characteristics of accident
2.Corelating accidents with personal and environmental
factors
3.Devising measures to
alter human behaviour
make environment safe
accident control measures
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36. Government Initiatives
Multi-pronged road safety programmes and initiatives
Mass awareness/ education programmes,
Engineering measures (both road and vehicle),
Enforcement of safety laws
Emergency care to road accident victims.
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37. Recent Measures taken by
MoRTH
Road Engineering measures:
black spots will be identified NH and State roads and its
Rectification .
Road Safety Audits
All road development projects have provision for essential
road safety furniture: like road signs, markings, delineators
etc.
Crash barriers installed in hilly areas.
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38. Recent Measures taken by MoRTH
(contd.)
Vehicular safety standards and IT enabled safety measure
Trucks prohibited from carrying protruding roads;
Anti-locking Brake System (ABS) made mandatory on
Heavy Vehicles.
Cars to have provision for fitment of at-least one child
seat.
AHO (Automatic Headlight On) made mandatory for
Two Wheelers.
Bus and truck code for safe cabins for drivers and
others.
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39. Recent Measures taken by MoRTH
(contd.)
Education and Awareness
Ministry sanctioned 24 model Institutes of Driving &Training
Research (IDTR) for drivers.
Road Safety Week February 4th to 10th observed this year
for mass awareness.
Theme for this Year 2019- “Sadak Suraksha – Jeevan
Raksha”- Road safety - Life Safety
To support traffic and transport rules.
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40. Recent Measures taken by MoRTH
(contd.)
Post-crash response and trauma care
“Good Samaritans” guidelines accepted by Supreme
Court – States/U.Ts requested to implement.
NHAI provide ambulances at a distance of 50-60 kms
on completed stretches of NH.
MV Amemdment Bill 2019 provide stricter penalities for
traffic offences for strengthening enforcement and
ensuring compliance:
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41. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment)
Bill 2019
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs has
been increased from ₹2,000 to ₹10,000
Rash driving/dangerous driving-₹5,000.
Speeding/Racing - ₹5000
People found driving without a seat belt can be fined
₹1,000
Driving without a helmet is a fine of ₹1,000 along with
a 3-month suspension of the offender’s driving licence.
Cashless Treatment for Road Accident Victims within
the first hour (Golden Hour) of its occurrence
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42. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment)
Bill 2019
Overloading of 2 wheeler – ₹.2,000 and Disqualification
of licence for 3 months
Overloading of vehicle - ₹20,000 and ₹2000 / extra
tonne
Overloading of passenger - ₹1000/extra passenger
Not providing way for Emergency vehicle- ₹10,000
Driving with out insurance - ₹2000
Vehicle with out permit - ₹10,000
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43. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment)
Bill 2019
Travelling with out a ticket in Govt Bus - ₹ 500
Violation of General road Rules - ₹500
Dis obedience of orders of authorities - ₹2000
Unauthorised use of vehicles without licence - ₹5000
Talking with mobile phone while driving –₹.5000
Aadhar card made compulsary-for getting Driving license
and vehicle registration
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44. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment)
Bill 2019
Driving without a licence-₹.5000
Driving with out Qualification - ₹10000
Over speeding – ₹. 2000 (for Medium Passenger Vehicle)
and ₹ .1000 (for Light Motor vehicle)
Specially abled people- vehicle alteration mandatory
Oversized vehicles - ₹5000
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45. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment)
Bill 2019
Increased Compensation for The Family of the person
died by -Hit and Run - ₹2 lakh ; for Grevious injury –
₹50,000
Inclusion of Good Samaritan Guidelines
National Transportation Policy
Recall of Vehicles
Compulsory Insurance- ₹10 lakh for deaths and ₹5 lakh
for grevious injuries
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46. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment)
Bill 2019
Road safety Board: -
1.Standards of motor vehicles
2.Registration and licensing of vehicles
3. Standards for road safety
4.promotion of new vehicle technology
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47. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment)
Bill 2019
Recognition of Offences Committed by Juveniles:
Gaurdian/owner deemed as guilty with ₹.25000 with 3
years imprisonment ;
Registration of Motor Vehicle to be cancelled.
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49. Cont..
Automated Fitness Training for Vehicles-computer-
monitored tests for PUC (pollution under control)
certification, speedometer calibration, brake adjustment,
suspension testing and wheel alignment.
National Registry for Licenses and Registrations
Electronic surveillance on national and state highways
and urban roads.
6 months time limit for application of compensation to
the claims
Time limit for renewal of driving licence -1 month
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66. 4 E’s for Injury Prevention
Education
Envronmental modification
Enforcement of Laws
Engineering
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68. I Pledge for Road Safety
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69. References
1.www.morth.nic.in
2. Road traffic Accidents in India 2017 ,www.morth.nic.in
3.K.Park ,Park’s textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine,
25th edition.Banarsidos Bhanot Publishers, (2019),436-
440
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