INDIA STATUS REPORT ON ROAD SAFETY 2024 (Syllabus: GS Paper 2/3 – Gov. Policies/Infrastructure)

Context: The "India Status Report on Road Safety 2024" highlights India's slow progress in reducing road accident fatalities and underscores the vital link between road construction, mobility, and the need for a tailored approach to curb accidents.

India Status Report on Road Safety 2024

• Prepared by: TRIP Centre at IIT Delhi.
• Key findings of Road Safety in India:
• Road Safety Data Sources: The report analyses road safety in India using FIR data from six States and compliance audits with Supreme Court directives on road safety governance.
• Disparities: Significant differences in road traffic death rates across States are highlighted, with motorcyclists being particularly vulnerable and trucks contributing heavily to fatal crashes.
• Failure to Meet UN Road Safety Goals: Most Indian States are unlikely to meet the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety goal to halve traffic deaths by 2030.
• Rank of Road Traffic Injuries in 2021: Road traffic injuries were the 13th leading cause of death and the 12th leading cause of health loss in India, as measured by DALYs.
• Top Causes of Health Loss in States: In six States (Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh), road traffic injuries ranked among the top 10 causes of health loss.
• Comparison with Developed Countries:

oGlobal Road Safety Comparison: India fares poorly compared to countries like Sweden and other Scandinavian nations, where road safety governance has made significant strides.

oRising Likelihood of Road Accident Fatalities: In 1990, Indians were 40% more likely to die in a road accident than in Sweden. By 2021, this likelihood increased to 600%, indicating worsening road safety conditions.

Steps taken by government to reduce road accidents

• Motor Vehicles Amendment Act, 2019: Implements heightened penalties for traffic infractions, defective vehicles, and underage driving.

oEstablishes the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund to mandate compulsory insurance coverage.

• Carriage by Road Act, 2007: Governs common carriers, placing restrictions on their liability and specifying the declared value of transported goods.
• Control of National Highways (Land and Traffic) Act, 2000: Exercises control over land situated along National Highways, delineating rights of way and overseeing traffic flow.
• National Highways Authority of India Act, 1998: Establishes an authority responsible for the development, upkeep, and administration of National Highways.