Lok Sabha Question No. 2504 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-05
Subject: Road Accidents
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Rama Devi, Ranjanben Dhananjay Bhatt

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2504

ANSWERED ON 5 TH  MARCH, 2020

## ROAD ACCIDENTS

## †2504.      SHRIMATI RAMA DEVI:

SHRIMATI RANJANBEN DHANANJAY BHATT:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that nearly 1.5 lakh people die in 5 lakh road accidents every year in the country and the Government has not been successful in containing such accidents;
- (b) if  so,  the  reaction  of  the  Government  thereto  and  whether  the  Government  proposes  to take more concrete and effective steps to bring down the number of such road accidents and death-toll; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## (SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

(a) As per available information, total number of road accidents and the persons killed in road accidents in the country during the calendar years 2018 are as under:-

|   Year | Total Accidents   | Number of persons killed   |
|--------|-------------------|----------------------------|
|   2018 | 467,044           | 151,417                    |

(b)  &    (c)          The  Ministry  of  Road  Transport  &  Highways  is  very  much  concerned  about  road safety. The Ministry analysis the road accidents issues on the basis of data from the Department of Police  of  the  States/UTs.  Analyses  of  road  accident  data  reported  by  the  police  department  of States/UTs  reveals that road Accidents are multi-causal and are the result of interplay of various factors  which  can  broadly  be  categorized  into  human  error,  Road  condition/environment  and vehicular condition.

The Ministry has taken various initiatives to promote road safety which include:

The  Motor  Vehicle  (Amendment)  Act,  2019  passed  by  Parliament  focuses  on  road  safety  and includes, inter-alia, revision in penalties for traffic violations, electronic monitoring of the same, enhanced penalties for juvenile driving, computerization/automation of vehicle fitness and driving, tests, recall of defective vehicles, streamlining the third party insurance and payment of increased compensation for hit and run cases etc. The Amendment has strengthened the Law to improve the road Safety scenario and reduce loss of lives.

The  Ministry  issues  regulations  to  improve  vehicle  safety  standards,  undertakes  site  specific interventions  to  address  black  spots,  and  also  mobilises  various  activities  to  promote  road  safety such as  road  safety  advocacy  and  awareness  programmes.  Ministry  has  notified  fitment  of  Speed Limiting devices on all transport vehicles, issue of Guidelines for protection of Good Samaritans. Besides,

- (i) Scheme  for  setting  up  of  model  Driving  Training  Institutes  in  States/UTs  with  central assistance.
- (ii) Scheme for setting up one model Inspection & Certification Centre in each State/UT with Central assistance for testing the fitness of vehicles through an automated system.
- (iii) Observance  of  National  Road  Safety  Week  every  year  for  spreading  awareness  and strengthening road safety.
- (iv) Road safety has been made an integral part of road design at planning stage.
- (v) The threshold for four laning of national highway has been reduced from 15,000 Passenger Car Units (PCUs) to 10,000 PCUs.
- (vi) Ministry has delegated powers to Regional Officers of MORTH for technical approval to the detailed estimates for rectification of identified Road Accident black spots for expediting the rectification process to ensure safety of road users.
- (vii) Guidelines for pedestrian facilities on National Highways for persons with disabilities have also been issued to all States / UTs.
- (viii) Removal of Liquor Shops as per directions of Hon'ble Supreme Court vide circular of   F. No. RW/NH-33044/309/2016/S&R dated 06-04-2017 and 01-06-2017.

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