Lok Sabha Question No. 3099 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-04
Subject: Road Accidents
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Manoj Kishorbhai Kotak, Raksha Nikhil Khadse

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3099

ANSWERED ON 4 TH  AUGUST, 2022

## ROAD ACCIDENTS

3099.

SHRI MANOJ KOTAK:

SHRIMATI RAKSHA NIKHIL KHADSE:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that more than one lakh commuters have been dying every year in road accidents in the country;
- (b) if  so,  the  number of  road  commuters died during the last three years and the current year, year-wise;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  formulated  any  strategy  on  road safety based on Education and Engineering; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS (SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

(a) & (b)   As per the data available with the Ministry, the total number of persons killed on all roads in the country during the year 2017 to 2020 is given in the table below:

|   Year |   Total Number of Persons Killed |
|--------|----------------------------------|
|   2017 |                           147913 |
|   2018 |                           151417 |
|   2019 |                           151113 |
|   2020 |                           131714 |

(c) & (d) Ministry has formulated a multi-pronged strategy to address the issue of road safety based on Education, Engineering (both of roads and vehicles), Enforcement and Emergency Care. Accordingly, various initiatives have been taken by the Ministry as detailed below:-

- (1) Education:
- i. To create effective public awareness about road safety, Ministry undertakes various publicity measures and awareness campaigns  on  road  safety  through  social  media,  electronic media,  and  print  media.  Further,  Ministry  implements  a  road safety  advocacy  scheme  to  provide  financial  assistance  to various agencies for administering Road Safety Advocacy.
- ii. Observance of National Road Safety Month/Week every year for spreading awareness and strengthening road safety.
- iii. A Certification Course for Road  Safety Auditors has  been commenced in Indian Academy of Highway Engineers (IAHE).
- iv. To impart driving training both theoretical and practical to the existing and aspiring drivers, for setting standards and monitoring driving training and issue of driving licence based on an objective of scientific process of testing skills, Ministry has been implementing a scheme for setting up of Institute of Driving Training & Research (IDTRs), Regional Driving Training Centres (RDTCs) and Driving Training Centres (DTCs) at district level in aspirational districts and other rural areas of the Country.

## (2) Engineering (both of Roads and vehicles)

## 2.1. Road engineering:

- i. Road safety has been made an integral part of road design at planning stage. Road Safety Audit of all highway projects has been made mandatory at all stages i.e.  design,  construction, operation and maintenance.
- ii. High  priority  to  identification and  rectification  of  black  spots (accident prone spots) on National Highways
- iii. Ministry has delegated powers to Regional Officers for technical approval of the detailed estimates for rectification of identified Road Accident black spots.
- iv. Guidelines  for  pedestrian  facilities  on  National  Highways  for persons with disabilities have also been issued to all States /
5. UTs.
6. The  electronic  Detailed  Accident  Report  (e-DAR)  Project  has been initiated to establish to a central repository for reporting, management and analysis of  road  accidents  data  across  the
- v. Country.
- vi. This Ministry and IRC has issued various codes and guidelines, time to time, to implement various road safety measures so as to minimize accidents on National Highways.

## 2.2

## Vehicle engineering:

- i. The Ministry has notified regarding mandatory provision of an airbag for the passenger seated on the front seat of a vehicle, next to the driver. Furthermore, the Ministry, has also proposed

that vehicles of category M1, manufactured after 01st October, 2022, shall be fitted with two side/side torso air bags, one each for the persons occupying front row outboard seating positions and two side curtain/tube air bags, one each for the persons occupying outboard seating positions.

- ii. Ministry has notified the mandatory fitment of following listed safety technologies from 01st July 2019.

## For M1 category vehicles:

- a. Seat Belt Reminder (SBR) for driver and co-driver.
- b. Manual Override for central locking system
- c. Over speed warning system.

For all M and N category vehicles:

- a. Reverse Parking Alert System
- iii. This Ministry has proposed that all front facing seats in vehicles of M1 category, manufactured on and after 01st October 2022, be provided with three point seat belt.
- iv. Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) for certain classes of L [Motor vehicle with less than four wheels and includes a Quadricycle], M [Motor vehicles with at least four wheels used for carrying passengers]  and  N  [Motor  vehicles  with  at  least  four  wheels used  for  carrying  goods  which  may  also  carry  persons  in addition  to  goods,  subject  to  conditions  stipulated  in  BIS standards] categories.
4. This Ministry has mandated approval of vehicles for protection of  occupants  in  the  event  of  an  Offset  Frontal  Collision,  for requirements for behavior of steering mechanism of the vehicle in a Head-on collision, Protection of Occupants in the event of Lateral  Collision  and  for  approval  of  vehicles  with  regard  to protection of pedestrians and other vulnerable road users in the
- v. event of a collision with a motor vehicle.
- vi. Regulations for Bharat New Car Assessment Programme - The Ministry  of  Road  Transport  and  Highways  has  issued  a  draft notification  dated  24th  June  2022,  whereby  it  is  proposed  to insert a new rule 126E in CMVR (Central Motor Vehicles Rules), 1989  regarding  the  Bharat  New  Car  Assessment  Program (BNCAP). The following has been proposed :-
- It is applicable on Type Approved motor vehicles of category M1 [ motor vehicles used for the carriage of passengers, comprising not more than eight seats, in addition to driver's seat] with gross vehicle weight less than 3.5 Tonnes, manufactured or imported in  the  country,  in  accordance  with  the  Automotive  Industry Standard  (AIS)-197,  as  amended  from  time  to  time.    The standard  is  aligned  with  global  benchmarks:  it  is  beyond minimum regulatory requirements.
- Bharat NCAP rating will provide consumers an indication of the level  of  protection  offered  to    occupants  by  evaluating  the vehicle in the areas of (a) Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) (b)
9. ·
10. Child Occupant Protection (COP) and (c) Safety Assist Technologies (SAT). The vehicle shall be assigned a star rating from one to five stars, based on scoring against various tests undertaken as per AIS 197.
- It introduces the concept of safety rating of passenger cars and empowers  consumers  to  take  informed  decisions.  It will promote export worthiness of the cars produced by OEMs in the country  and  increase  the  domestic  customer's  confidence  in these vehicles. Additionally the program will encourage manufacturers to provide advanced safety technologies to earn higher ratings.
- The testing of vehicles for this program will be carried out at Testing Agencies, with the necessary infrastructure, referred to
13. in Rule 126 of CMVR 1989.
14. Date of Applicability: 1st day of April 2023.
- vii. The  Ministry has  mandated  speed  limiting function/speed limiting device in all transport vehicles, except  for two wheelers, three wheelers, quadricycles, fire tenders, ambulances and police vehicles.
- viii. This Ministry has mandated compliance of the fully built buses (with a seating capacity of 22 passengers or above, excluding driver),  manufactured  on  and  after  1st  April  2019,  with  the requirements of Fire Detection, Alarm and Suppression system. Further, compliance of type III buses of category M3 and school buses  with  fire  alarm  and  protection  system  in  occupant compartment has also been mandated.
- ix. The  Ministry  has  prescribed  the  format  in  which  vehicle manufacturers  issue  the  Road  Worthiness  Certification  for registering motor vehicles.
- x. 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.
- xi. This Ministry, vide notification dated 15th February, 2022 has prescribed  norms  related  to  safety  measures  for  children below  four  years  of  age,  riding  or  being  carried  on  a  motor cycle.  Further,  it  specifies  use  of  a  safety  harness,  crash helmet and restricts speed to 40kmph.

## (3)  Enforcement:

- i. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 provides for strict penalties for ensuring strict compliance and enhancing deterrence for violation of traffic rules and strict enforcement through use of technology.
- ii. Issue of Guidelines for protection of Good Samaritans and rules as per MV (Amendment) Act, 2019 has been published.
- iii. Notification vide GSR 652 (E) dt 23rd September 2021- provides for  recognition,  regulation  and  control of  Automated Testing Stations. These rules define the procedure for fitness testing of vehicles through automated equipment and the procedure for grant of fitness certificate by ATSs. These rules came into effect on 25th September 2021.
- iv. Notification vide GSR 272(E) dated 05th April 2022, provides for mandatory fitness of vehicles only through an Automated Testing  Stations.    It  mandates  the  fitness  check  of  Heavy Goods Vehicles/Heavy Passenger Motor Vehicles only through automated testing  stations  with  effect  from  01st  April  2023 onwards, and for Medium Goods Vehicles/Medium Passenger Motor Vehicles and Light Motor vehicles (Transport) with effect from 01st June 2024 onwards.
- v. MoRTH has issued notification G.S.R. 575(E) dt 11th August, 2021  for  Electronic  Monitoring  and  Enforcement  of  Road Safety. The rules specify the detailed provisions for placement of  electronic  enforcement  devices  (speed  camera,  closedcircuit television camera, speed gun, body wearable camera, dashboard  camera,  Automatic  Number  Plate  Recognition (ANPR), weigh in machine (WIM) and any such technology).

State Governments  shall ensure that appropriate electronic  enforcement  devices  are  placed  at  high-risk  and high-density corridors on National Highways and State Highways, and at critical junctions at least in major cities with more than one million population (as per data available based on Million Plus Urban Agglomerations or Cities: census of India 2011  or  as  per  the  latest  census)  including  the  132  nonattainment cities (under National Clean Air Programme), and the electronic enforcement device shall be placed in such a manner so as not to cause any obstruction, line -of-sight issues or interruption in traffic flow.

## (4)

## Emergency care:

- i. The National Highways Authority of India has made provisions for ambulances with paramedical staff/Emergency Medical Technician/Nurse at  toll plazas  on  the  completed  corridor  of National Highways.
- ii. Ministry has implemented a Scheme for grant of Award to the Good Samaritan who has saved life of a victim of a fatal accident involving a motor vehicle by administering immediate assistance and rushing to Hospital/Trauma Care Centre within the Golden Hour of the accident to provide medical treatment.

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