Lok Sabha Question No. 3090 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-12
Subject: High Rate of Road Accidents
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: A. Chellakumar, H. Vasanthakumar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3090

ANSWERED ON 12 TH  MARCH, 2020

## HIGH RATE OF ROAD ACCIDENTS

## 3090.     DR. A. CHALLAKUMAR: SHRI VASANTHAKUMAR H.:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  India  has  one  of  the  highest  rates  of  road  accidents  in  the  world  as  per  a recent report;
- (b) if  so,  whether  about  1.5  lakh  people  lose  their  lives  and  more  than  five  times  that number are injured every year on India's roads as per the report and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether India needs to invest USD109 billion to halve its road accident fatalities in the next decade and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the said report states that the high death rate on India's roads is caused by chronic lack of investment in systemic, targeted, and sustained road safety programmes and identifies relevant investment priorities to reverse the trend; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken or being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## (SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

(a) to    (e)        Road  accidents  continue  to  be  a  major  developmental  issue, a public  health concern and a leading cause of death and injury across the World  killing around 1.35 million globally. As per available information, the total number of road accidents and the number of persons killed in such accidents in the country during the calendar year 2018 are as under:-

|   Year | Total Accidents   | Number of persons killed   | No. of persons injured   |
|--------|-------------------|----------------------------|--------------------------|
|   2018 | 4,67,044          | 1,51,417                   | 4,69,418                 |

The World Bank in its report titled as 'Delivering Road Safety in India- Leadership Priorities  and  Initiatives  to  2030'  have  estimated  requirement  of  additional  investment  of US$109 billion over the coming decade to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of a 50 percent reduction in national road crash fatalities.

The  issues  of  road  safety  require  a  comprehensive  and  integrated  approach  by  all stakeholders including State and Central Governments, municipal bodies etc. The focus has to  be  on  institutional  ownership  of  the  problem,  accountability  for  safer  infrastructure,  a regulatory  framework  that  demands  greater  vehicle  safety  for  all  road  users,  targeted enforcement of unsafe road user behaviors, and improved post-crash health services.

The Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Act, 2019 which was recently 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.

*****