The “India Status Report on Road Safety 2024”, prepared by the TRIP Centre at IIT Delhi, The Road Safety Report highlights India’s slow progress in improving road safety and reducing traffic-related fatalities. Despite global advancements in transportation safety, India continues to face a severe road safety crisis, making it one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in the country.
Key Findings of the India Status Report On Road Safety Report
- The report uses data from First Information Reports (FIRs) in six states and audits compliance with Supreme Court directives related to road safety.
- It identifies major risks and vulnerabilities:
- High fatalities among motorcyclists.
- Frequent involvement of trucks in deadly crashes.
- Road traffic injuries remain a critical public health challenge, with minimal reduction in fatalities over the years.
- Most Indian states are unlikely to meet the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety goal of halving traffic deaths by 2030.
- In 2021, road traffic injuries ranked:
- 13th as a leading cause of death.
- 12th as a cause of health loss (DALYs).
- States such as Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir/Ladakh reported road traffic injuries among the top 10 causes of health loss.
State-wise Road Safety Performance
- Road safety varies significantly across India, with per capita road traffic death rates differing over threefold between states.
Highest per capita road traffic deaths (2021):
- Tamil Nadu: 21.9 per 100,000
- Telangana: 19.2 per 100,000
- Chhattisgarh: 17.6 per 100,000
Lowest per capita road traffic deaths (2021):
- West Bengal: 5.9 per 100,000
- Bihar: 5.9 per 100,000
- Six states—Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu—account for nearly half of all road accident fatalities.
- Pedestrians, cyclists, and two-wheeler riders remain the most frequent victims.
- Helmet usage is critically low, especially in rural areas, with only seven states reporting over 50% compliance among two-wheeler riders.
- Basic traffic safety measures like road markings, signage, and traffic calming are insufficient across most states.
- Tailored strategies are essential to address unique road safety challenges in different regions.
India’s Global Road Safety Standing
- Compared to developed countries like Sweden, India lags behind in road safety governance.
- In 1990, an Indian was 40% more likely to die in a road accident than someone in Scandinavia; by 2021, this likelihood increased to 600%.
- Advanced vehicle safety features have had limited impact because most fatalities involve two-wheelers, cyclists, and pedestrians.
Factors Contributing to Poor Road Safety in India
- Road design flaws: Poorly engineered roads, junctions, and inadequate signage.
- Data gaps: Lack of a centralized crash-level database leads to incomplete analyses and inaccurate statistics.
- Legislative and institutional issues: Existing laws do not separate safety standard setting from compliance audits.
- Infrastructure bias: Roads favor motorized vehicles over non-motorized transport, increasing pedestrian risk.
Government Initiatives to Improve Road Safety
- Good Samaritan Guidelines: Protect bystanders assisting at accident sites.
- Bharat NCAP: Star rating system for vehicle crash safety for adults and children.
- Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019: Strict penalties to enforce traffic rules and reduce accidents.
- Kooch Kavach: Innovative bamboo crash barriers to reduce fatalities.
- Road Safety Audit (RSA): Third-party audits for highways from design to maintenance.
- Black Spot Identification: RSOs tasked with rectifying accident-prone zones.
- Engineering Measures: Integration of road safety in planning and construction phases.
- Electronic Detailed Accident Report (e-DAR): Centralized system for reporting and analyzing road accidents.
- Mandatory Safety Measures: Airbags, seatbelt reminders, overspeed warnings, ABS, and child safety protocols.
Global Road Safety Initiatives
- International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP): Promotes safer roads globally.
- UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030: Target to halve global road fatalities.
- Brasilia Declaration (2015): India committed to reducing road traffic deaths under SDG 3.6.
- UNITAR Road Safety Initiative: Supports governments in achieving global road safety performance targets.
Conclusion
India faces a serious road safety challenge with rising fatalities despite legislative and technological interventions. State-specific strategies, improved compliance audits, better road engineering, and public awareness are key to achieving meaningful reductions in road traffic deaths. The 2024 report underscores the urgency of coordinated action to protect all road users—especially pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.
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