Syllabus
GS Paper 2 – Government Policies and Interventions for Development in various sectors and Issues arising out of their Design and Implementation, Important Aspects of Governance, Transparency and Accountabilit
Context
Annually, an alarming number of 300,000 individuals are believed to lose their lives in road accidents in India. Addressing this issue requires a comprehensive, multi-dimensional approach.
Source
The Hindu | Editorial dated 20 November 2023
Road Accidents: Silent but Deadly Pandemic
- In the contemporary world, road and transportation have become essential facets of daily life.
- The surge in motorization and expansion of the road network heightens travel risks and exposure to traffic hazards.
- India boasts the world’s second-largest road network, spanning approximately 62.1 lakh kilometers.
- This extensive network serves as the nation’s lifeblood, transporting over 64.5% of goods and facilitating over 90% of passenger traffic.
- Despite advancements reducing distances, the current transport system increases life risks, leading to a substantial annual occurrence of road accidents.
- Shockingly, almost one in four global road deaths occurs in India, highlighting the urgent need for effective measures.
- Recognizing the complex interplay of factors in road accidents, a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach is essential to reduce both accidents and fatalities.
Road Accidents in India
- Alarming Statistics: In 2022, road crashes in India led to a staggering loss of about 1.68 lakh lives and injuries to over 4.4 lakh individuals.
- Infrastructure Investments: Despite significant government investments in infrastructure, there was a concerning surge in road accidents, marking an all-time high.
- State-wise Analysis and Trends
- State Reports: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ annual report for 2022 reveals that states and Union Territories reported 461,312 incidents.
- 11.9% rise in accidents.
- 9.4% increase in fatalities.
- 15.3% surge in injuries compared to 2021.
- State Reports: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ annual report for 2022 reveals that states and Union Territories reported 461,312 incidents.
- Collective Impact: States like Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Bihar collectively contribute to nearly 78% of total accidents in India.
- State Variances: While the number of accidents increased in most states, Andhra Pradesh reported a 1.4% reduction. Tamil Nadu consistently leads in accidents, and Telangana showed the smallest rise compared to 2021.
- Highway Impact: In 2022, 23% of accidents occurred on state highways, and 43.9% occurred on other roads. National highways accounted for 36.2% of fatalities, state highways for 24.3%, and other roads for 39.4%.
- Fatality Trends: Uttar Pradesh continues to hold the top spot in fatalities for 2022, accounting for close to 13.5% of total accidents in India.
- Comparative Analysis: Fatal road accidents increased in all states compared to 2021, except for Telangana, which maintained similar numbers.
- Demographic Impact: The economic cost of accidents is a concern, with the majority of victims being young adults, comprising 66.5% of victims in 2022. Those aged 18 to 60 years (working population) made up 83.4% of overall fatalities.
Causes of Road accidents in India
- Categories of Factors:
- Human Error: Involves errors like traffic rule violations and driving without a valid license.
- Road Condition/Environment: External factors such as road conditions contribute to accidents.
- Vehicular Condition: The state of vehicles involved is a significant factor in road safety.
- Human Errors
- Traffic Rule Violation: ‘Over Speeding’
- In 2022, ‘over speeding’ emerged as the primary traffic rule violation associated with road accidents.
- This violation constituted a significant portion, accounting for 72.3% of total road accidents.
- It was also a major contributor to fatalities and injuries, comprising 71.2% of total deaths and 72.8% of total injuries.
- Secondary Violation: ‘Driving on Wrong Side’
- Another noteworthy traffic rule violation in 2022 was ‘driving on the wrong side.’
- This violation accounted for 4.9% of the total road accidents during the year
- Involvement of Inexperienced and Unlicensed Drivers (2022):
- In 2022, road accidents involving drivers with learners’ licenses and those without a valid license constituted a combined share of 11.8% of the total accidents.
- There was a notable reduction in the number of accident cases involving drivers without a valid driving license.
- The figures decreased from 37,182 in 2021 to 35,925 in 2022, indicating a decline of 3.4% compared to the corresponding period in the previous year.
- Fatalities due to Non-Usage of Safety Devices: (2022):
- In 2022, a total of 50,029 individuals lost their lives in road accidents where they were not wearing helmets.
- Among these fatalities, 71.3% (35,692 persons) were drivers, and 28.7% (14,337 persons) were passengers
- During the same period, 16,715 individuals lost their lives in accidents where they were not wearing seat belts.
- Traffic Rule Violation: ‘Over Speeding’
- Road Condition/Environment:
- Contrasting Data for 2022:
- 47.7% of accidents, 55.1% of deaths, and 48.2% of injuries occurred in open areas, where there is typically no human activity in the vicinity.
- Residential Areas ranked second with 18.7% of total accidents, 17.8% of fatalities, and 17.8% of injuries.
- Market/Commercial Areas Accounted for 14.3% of total accidents and 11.8% of fatalities.
- Rainy, Foggy, Hail/Sleet accounted for 16.6% of total road accidents in 2022.
- Contrasting Data for 2022:
- Vehicular Conditions:
- Older vehicles often experience more frequent breakdowns, malfunctions, and may lack safety features.
- A total of 1,38,171 road accidents occurred involving vehicles less than 5 years old.
- Notably, the highest number of fatalities, totaling 50,762, was reported in accidents involving vehicles less than 5 years old.
- Vehicles Below 10 Years Old accounted for more than 58.8% of total accidents and contributed to 57.5% of total fatalities.
Impact of Road Accidents:
- Socio-Economic Impact:
- Fatality Disparities:
- Higher fatality rates post-crash in low-income households compared to high-income households.
- Rural areas witness over 40% of households reporting at least one death after a road crash, compared to 12% in urban areas.
- Low-income households report doubles the number of deaths post-crash compared to high-income households.
- Disabilities and Inequality:
- Victims from low-income households and rural areas are twice as likely to suffer disabilities after a crash.
- Inequality in insurance coverage and delayed compensation hinder quick recovery for low-income households.
- Insurance coverage is significantly higher in high-income and urban households.
- Gender-Specific Impact:
- 1,53,972 people killed and 3,84,448 injured in 4,12,432 road crashes in India.
- Approximately 21,000 fatalities are women, averaging 57 women dying daily in road crashes.
- Women are direct victims of road crashes, facing fatalities, injuries, and disabilities.
- Many women drop out of the organized labor force to provide necessary assistance and care, leading to hardships.
- National Economic Impact:
- Road crashes cost the Indian economy 3 to 5 percent of GDP annually, according to the World Bank.
- Household Burden:
- Every road accident death depletes nearly seven months’ household income in poor families, pushing kin into a cycle of poverty and debt.
- The income decline is most severe for low-income rural households (56%).
- Fatality Disparities:
Global Initiatives for Road Safety:
- Brasilia Declaration on Road Safety (2015):
- Signed at the Global High-Level Conference on Road Safety in Brazil.
- Aims to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.6 by halving global deaths and injuries from road accidents by 2030.
- Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030:
- UN General Assembly resolution targeting a 50% reduction in road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.
- International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP):
- A registered charity dedicated to saving lives through safer roads.
Measures by the Government:
- Multi-Causal Approach:
- Road accidents are addressed through a multi-pronged strategy: Education, Engineering, Enforcement, and Emergency Care.
- National Highways Authority of India Act, 1998:
- Establishes an authority for the development, maintenance, and management of National Highways.
- Financial Assistance Scheme:
- Implemented a scheme for administering road safety advocacy and awards.
- The Carriage by Road Act, 2007:
- Regulates common carriers, limiting their liability for loss or damage to goods.
- Public Awareness Initiatives:
- Various measures, campaigns, and awareness programs through social media, electronic media, and print media.
- Blackspot Rectification:
- Immediate short-term measures for black spots: cautionary road signs, markings, rumble strips, solar blinkers.
- Long-term solutions include flyovers, underpasses, foot over bridges, service roads, etc.
- Emergency/Medical Facilities:
- Provided as per contract/concession agreements between NHAI and contractors/concessionaires.
- Airbag Mandate:
- Mandated front airbags for drivers from July 2019.
- Co-driver airbag mandated for new models from April 2021 and for all models from December 2021.
- Anti-lock Braking System (ABS):
- ABS mandatory for 4-wheelers and 2-wheelers with engine capacity >125 cc from April 2018.
- Speed Limiting Function:
- All transport vehicles (except specific categories) are mandated to have a speed-limiting function/device.
- Safety Norms for Children:
- Prescribed safety norms for children under four years on motorcycles.
- Reflective Tapes Mandate:
- Mandated application of reflective tapes on buses, trucks, and trailers for better night visibility.
- Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019:
- Expected to bring reforms in road safety norms, citizen facilitation, transparency, and corruption reduction through technology.
What must Be Our Focus Area
- Seatbelt Enforcement:
- Priority on enforcing seatbelt usage for drivers and passengers.
- Wearing seatbelts reduces the risk of death for drivers and front-seat occupants by 45% to 50%, and for rear-seat occupants by 25%.
- Helmet Use Enforcement:
- Strict enforcement of helmet uses for motorcyclists and their pillion passengers.
- Correct helmet use can lead to a 42% reduction in the risk of fatal injuries.
- Vulnerable Road Users:
- Focus on vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and two-wheeler riders.
- Almost three-quarters of road deaths in India involve vulnerable road users.
- Speeding and Drink-Driving:
- Reduction in speeding, with zero tolerance for drink-driving.
- Speeding attributed to 70% of India’s road crash deaths.
- Road Infrastructure Enhancement:
- Improvement of road infrastructure for safer conditions.
- Acknowledgment of recent government programs leading to rapid improvements.
- Public Awareness Campaigns:
- Large-scale public awareness campaigns, such as the UN global campaign #MakeASafetyStatement.
- Involvement of international celebrities to secure behavioral changes.
- Global Initiatives and Sustainable Development Goals:
- Alignment with global initiatives, such as the Sustainable Development Goals.
- SDG target 3.6 aims to halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road crashes.
- Government Measures:
- Implementation of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, by the national government.
- Enhanced data collection from road crashes for better understanding and reduction strategies.
- Technology Adoption:
- Adoption of modern technologies, such as intelligent traffic management systems, by police in major cities like New Delhi.
- Efforts to regulate traffic flows and minimize the potential for collisions.
- Regional Disparities and Emergency Care:
- Acknowledgment of regional disparities affecting the chances of surviving a road crash.
- Importance of high-quality emergency care services and proper after-care.
- International Best Practices:
- Increasing focus on international best practices and successes.
- Adaptation of these practices to India’s specific needs and circumstances.
- Complex Nature of Road Safety:
- Acknowledgment of road safety as a complex and multi-dimensional challenge.
- Emphasis on adopting a comprehensive safe-system approach.
- Reference to the UN’s Second Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 as a guiding framework.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the alarming rise in road accidents, particularly in India, demands a collective and urgent response. The global scale of the issue emphasizes the need for effective mitigation strategies, and commitment to align with international standards is a positive step. Recognizing road accidents as a leading cause of death, the joint efforts of both state and central governments are imperative to improve safety infrastructure. Individuals, as change makers, must actively contribute to creating safer roads and communities. With a shared responsibility and commitment to prayer for safety, we can collectively work towards a future marked by reduced accidents, minimized fatalities, and an overall improvement in road safety.