Holistic framework for road safety

The latest data on road accidents in India released by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways reveals a worrying picture about the safety of highway users in the country. Highways (both national and state) account for only five percent of the total road network in the country but will account for more than 55 percent of total accidents and more than 60 percent of fatalities in 2022. This calls for a holistic approach to accident mitigation measures, with more focus on road safety awareness. One of the key takeaways in the report titled “Road Accidents in India-2022” is that the total number of road accidents registered an increase of 11.9% in 2022 compared to the previous year. The number of persons killed and the number of persons injured also increased by 9.4% and 15.3%, respectively, in 2022 as compared to 2021. The total number of accidents in the northeastern region has decreased to 9,412 in 2022 from 9,754 in 2021 and 10,740 in 2018, which can primarily be attributed to the decrease in total accidents in Assam from 7411 in 2021 to 7023 in 2022. There is, however, no room for complacency as accident severity, i.e., death per 100 accidents in Assam, continues to be much higher at 42.6 compared to the national average of 36.5. The decline in the total number of accidents in the state is a reflection of the special awareness drive against drunken driving, particularly during festival days and on New Year’s Eve, which needs to be intensified for further improvement. In 2022, under the category of Traffic Rule Violations, overspeeding is a major killer, accounting for 71.2 percent of the persons killed, followed by driving on the wrong side (5.4%), states the report. The situation cannot be expected to improve without strict enforcement of motor vehicle rules and the imposition of penalties on violators. Unless awareness among drivers and passengers of the consequences of overspeeding and driving on the wrong side increases, the situation cannot be expected to improve even through deterrent actions like the imposition of penalties. Wrong-side driving is on the rise on the streets of Guwahati, more particularly during the morning hours, which need to be checked to prevent accidents. The city police, by intensifying vigilance and with the cooperation of conscious citizens, can trace down such violators. Elected representatives of Guwahati Municipal Corporation can play a crucial role in bringing about a change in the situation by undertaking a special door-to-door awareness drive on road safety and against violations of traffic norms in their respective wards. A similar role can also be played by elected members of Panchayati Raj institutions and autonomous councils. A key highlight of the report is that both road accidents and accident-related deaths are “more of a rural phenomenon than an urban phenomenon.” In 2022, about 68 percent of road accident deaths took place in rural areas, whereas urban areas accounted for 32 percent of total accident deaths in the country, it adds. About 33% of accidents took place on national highways, including motorways, 23.1% on state highways, and the remaining 43.9% on other roads, while 36.2% of fatalities were on national highways, 24.3% were on state highways, and 39.4% were on other roads in the year. On average, 1,264 accidents and 462 deaths occur every day, or 53 accidents and 19 deaths, in the country, which is the flip side of the expansion of road networks for growth and progress without adequate attention to road safety. The report describes road accidents as multi-cause and often the result of the interplay of various factors like human error, road environment, and vehicular condition. About 67 percent of accidents took place on straight roads, whereas accidents on curved roads, pothole roads, and steep grades together accounted for only 13.8 percent of the total road accidents, which point towards human error as a major cause, primarily resulting from a lack of awareness of safe driving to make all roads safe for every user. Young adults in the age group of 18–45 years accounted for 66.5 percent of victims during 2022, while people in the working age group of 18–60 years shared 83.4 percent of total road accident fatalities. Amongst the road user categories, two-wheelers, with a share of 44.5%, constitute the largest victims of road accidents, while pedestrians are the next highest victims of road accident deaths with a share of 19.5 percent in 2022. The automobile industry needs to play a greater role in generating awareness among vehicle buyers about safe driving. This must not end with one-time awareness at the time of the sale of the vehicle but reaching out frequently at regular intervals to keep reminding people about road safety. Banks and other financial institutions, which finance the vehicle loans, undertaking a similar responsibility can help make Indian roads safer.