Context:
The India Status Report on Road Safety 2024, conducted by IIT Delhi, underscores the limited headway India has made towards the international objectives aimed at curtailing road accident deaths. This report serves as a critical evaluation of the current measures and highlights the pressing need for enhanced strategies and implementations to significantly reduce the incidence of traffic-related fatalities in the nation.
Relevance:
GS II: Government Policies and Interventions
Dimensions of the Article:
- Overview of Road Safety in India
- Strategic Approaches for Enhancing Road Safety
Overview of Road Safety in India:
- Data Sources: Analysis based on FIRs from Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh, along with state compliance audits regarding Supreme Court road safety mandates.
- Mortality and Health Impact: Road traffic injuries ranked as the 13th leading cause of death and the 12th leading cause of health deterioration in India in 2021, as per Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs).
Regional Disparities in Road Safety:
- Variability: Significant differences in road traffic death rates exist across various states.
- High and Low Rates: Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh witnessed the highest death rates, while West Bengal and Bihar had the lowest in 2021.
- Contribution to Fatalities: States like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu contribute to nearly half of all road traffic fatalities in India.
Vulnerabilities and Safety Measures:
- Most Vulnerable Users: Pedestrians, cyclists, and motorised two-wheeler riders face the greatest risks, with trucks causing the most accidents.
- Helmet Usage: Less than half of the motorised two-wheeler riders wear helmets consistently across only seven states.
- Safety Audits: Only a few states have conducted comprehensive audits on more than half of their National Highways.
Deficiencies in Road Safety:
- Safety Infrastructure: Essential safety features like traffic calming, road markings, and signage are poorly implemented in most regions.
- Helmet and Trauma Care: Helmet usage in rural areas remains low and trauma care facilities are lacking, indicating a need for improvement.
Goals and Comparisons:
- UN Safety Goals: Most states are not on track to meet the UN’s road safety target of halving traffic-related deaths by 2030.
- International Comparison: The report draws comparisons with countries like Sweden, which have superior road safety measures.
- Rising Fatalities: The likelihood of road fatalities in India has dramatically increased from 1990 to 2021, highlighting a significant rise in road accidents.
Strategic Approaches for Enhancing Road Safety:
- Integrated Strategy: Encourage collaboration among transportation, health, and law enforcement sectors to form comprehensive strategies aimed at reducing traffic-related deaths and injuries.
- Incremental Safety Measures: Implement essential safety practices such as universal helmet use, adherence to traffic regulations, and regular vehicle maintenance.
Data Utilization and Accessibility:
- National Database Development: Construct a detailed and accessible national database to aid policymakers, researchers, and law enforcement in monitoring and analyzing traffic trends and pinpointing areas of risk.
- Transparency and Accountability: Ensure public access to the national traffic data repository to improve transparency and accountability among all stakeholders involved in road safety.
- Monitoring and Evaluation: Continuously track and analyze traffic accident statistics to evaluate the effectiveness of road safety measures, legal changes, and infrastructural developments.
Technological Advancements in Road Safety:
- Technology Integration: Employ advanced technologies including AI for traffic analysis, smart traffic signs, and sophisticated data analytics to bolster road safety measures integrated into the national database.
-Source: The Hindu
