Road Safety | 30 Jun 2022

Why in News?

According to the latest Lancet Study, steps to check speeding can save 20,000 lives annually in India.

• Interventions focusing on four key risk factors such as speeding, drunk driving, non-use of crash helmets and seatbelts could prevent 25% to 40% of 13.5 lakh fatal road injuries worldwide every year.

What are the Key Highlights?

• According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ 2020 report there were a total of 1,31,714 deaths due to road accidents in India.
  • Speeding accounted for 69.3% of deaths.
  • Non-wearing of helmets resulted in 30.1% deaths.
  • Non-use of seatbelts caused 11.5% of deaths.
• Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs) are the eighth leading cause of death globally for all ages and the first cause in the 5-29 years age group.
  • India accounts for almost 10% of all crash-related deaths, while accounting for only 1% of the world’s vehicles.

What is the Significance of Road Safety in India?

• About:
  • Road transport is the dominant mode of transport in India, in terms of traffic share and in terms of contribution to the national economy.
  • To meet the demand for road transport, the number of vehicles and the length of road network have increased over the years.
  • A negative externality of expansion in road network, motorization and urbanisation in the country is the increase in road accidents and road crash fatalities.
• Causes:
  • Infrastructural deficits: Pathetic conditions of roads and vehicles, poor visibility and poor road design and engineering – including quality of material and construction, especially a single-lane with a sharp curve.
  • Negligence and risks: Over speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, tiredness or riding without a helmet, driving without seatbelts.
  • Distraction: Talking over mobile phones while driving has become a major cause of road accidents.
  • Overloading: To save on the cost of transportation.
  • Weak Vehicle Safety Standards in India: In 2014, crash tests carried out by the Global New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) revealed that some of India’s top-selling car models have failed the UN (United Nations)’s frontal impact crash test.
  • Lack of awareness: Regarding the importance of safety features like airbags, Anti lock Braking system etc.
• Impacts:
  • Economics:
    • India loses 3% of its GDP due to road accidents, most of which are preventable.
  • Social:
    • Burden on Households:
      • Every road accident death causes depletion of nearly seven months’ household income in poor families and pushes the kin of victims into a cycle of poverty and debt.
    • Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs):
      • VRUs bear a disproportionately large burden of road crashes and account for more than half of all road crash deaths and serious injuries in the country.
        • It is often the poor, especially male road-users of working age, that constitute the category of VRUs.
    • Gender Specific Impact:
      • Women in the families of victims bore the burden across poor and rich households, often taking up extra work, assuming greater responsibilities, and performing caregiving activities.
      • According to World Bank’s report “Traffic Crash Injuries and Disabilities: The Burden on Indian Society, 2021.
        • About 50% of women were severely affected by the decline in their household income after a crash.
        • About 40% of women reported a change in their working patterns post-accident, while around 11% reported taking up extra work to deal with the financial crisis.
        • The income decline for low-income rural households (56%) was the most severe compared to low-income urban (29.5%) and high-income rural households (39.5%).

How can Road Accidents be controlled?

• Transparent Machinery:
  • With E-challan implementation, corruption can be decreased for the compensation of traffic infringement fines.
• Speed-Detection Devices:
  • Installation of proven speed detection devices such as Radar and speed detection camera systems can be introduced.
    • Chandigarh and New Delhi have already implemented the service of speed detection devices such as digital still cameras (Chandigarh), speed cameras (New Delhi), and Radar gun (New Delhi) in traffic control.
      • Radar Gun is a handheld device used by traffic police to estimate the speed of a passing vehicle.
• Improved Safety Measures:
  • Speed humps, raised platforms, Roundabouts, and optical markings can reduce road accidents to a great extent.
• Stricter Rules and Heavy Fines:
  • In order to reduce violations of traffic rules, heavy motor vehicle fines can be imposed on the violators specially when driving under the influence of liquor, cannabis or another drug.
• Vehicular Safety Standards:
  • Vehicle safety features such as electronic stability control, effective Car Crash Standards and advanced braking should be made mandatory.
    • Recently, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways introduced Bharat NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme).
• Role of bystanders:
  • Bystanders play a major role in post-crash care. They contribute by activating the emergency care system and taking simple, potentially life-saving actions until professional help is available.
• Training and capacity building:
  • Training courses and training workshops should be organized for building capacity in road safety audits and road safety engineering.

Source: TH