Lok Sabha Question No. 3015 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-12
Subject: Road Accidents
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Kotha Prabhakar  Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3015

ANSWERED ON 12 TH  MARCH, 2020

## ROAD ACCIDENTS

## 3015. SHRI KOTHA PRABHAKAR REDDY:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware that a total of 4,67,044 road accidents were reported by States and UTs in the year 2018 with cases of over speeding responsible for 64.4 per cent of the persons killed;
- (b) if so, the steps taken by the Government in this regard along with the compensation paid as per rule/norms during the last three years and the current year;
- (c) whether  money  recovered  as  road  tax  is  fully  utilised  for  the  construction  and maintenance of roads and if so, the details thereof for the last three years especially in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana; and
- (d) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  ensure  that  newspapers,  television  and  other media are effectively used for spreading public safety awareness?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## (SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

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

|   Year | Total Accidents   | Total Number of persons killed in road accident   |   Total Persons killed on Road Accidents by Over Speeding |
|--------|-------------------|---------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|
|   2018 | 4,67,044          | 1,51,417                                          |                                                     97588 |

(b) The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways is very much concerned about road safety. The data is analysed for 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 multicaused and are a 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.

As  per  Section  165(1)  of  Motor  Vehicles  Act,  1988,  a  State  Government  may,  by notification in the official Gazette, constitute one or more Motor Accidents Claims Tribunals for such area as may be specified in the notification for the purpose of adjudicating upon claims for compensation in respect of accidents involving the death of, or bodily injury to, persons arising out of the use of motor vehicles, or damages to any property of the third party so arising, or both. Sub-section  (2)  of  Section  165  empowers  the  State  Government  to  appoint  such  number  of members  as  the  State  Government  may  think  fit  to  appoint.  Sub-section  (3)  of  Section  165 empowers State Government to regulate distribution of business if there are two or more Claims Tribunals  for  an  area.  Thus,  the  matter  regarding  disposal  of  cases  by  Motor  Accident  Claims Tribunals comes under the jurisdiction of the State Government.

- (c) Road tax is collected and utilized by the State Government.

(d) The  Ministry  implements  scheme  of  publicity  measures  and  awareness  campaigns  on road  safety  to  create  awareness  among  road  users  through  the  electronic  media,  print  media, NGOs etc.. Besides, National Road Safety Week is observed every calendar year for spreading awareness and strengthening road safety.