Lok Sabha Question No. 764 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-21
Subject: Measures to Prevent Accidental Death on Highways
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Sudheer Gupta, Anurag Sharma, Prataprao  Jadhav, Sambhajirao Mane Dhairyasheel, Bidyut Baran Mahato, Subrata Pathak, Ravi Kishan Shukla, Ravindra Kushawaha, Sanjay Sadashivrao Mandlik, Shrirang Appa Barne

## be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has addressed the issue of large number of accidental deaths on the State and National Highways, which account for five per cent of total length but 60-65 per cent of total accidental deaths in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  this  is  due  to  poor  road designing and planning of National Highways and if so, the details thereof along with the remedial measures taken by the Government in this regard;
- (c) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  make  it  mandatory  for passenger cars, trucks and buses to meet the prescribed standards for rolling resistance, wet grip and rolling sound emissions etc. to prevent accidents and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has issued any notification in this regard and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the details of norms set by the Government for rolling resistance in respect of vehicles?

## ANSWER

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

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.764 ANSWERED ON 21 ST  JULY, 2022

## MEASURES TO PREVENT ACCIDENTAL DEATH ON HIGHWAYS

## 764.  SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

SHRI ANURAG SHARMA:

SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV:

SHRI DHAIRYASHEEL SAMBHAJIRAO MANE:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

SHRI SUBRAT PATHAK:

SHRI RAVI KISHAN:

SHRI RAVINDRA KUSHWAHA:

SHRI SANJAY SADASHIVRAO MANDLIK:

SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

(a) & (b)     The percentage share of total number of fatalities in Road Accidents on National Highways (NH) and State Highways (SH) over total number of fatalities  due  to  Road  Accidents  in  the  country  during  the calendar years 2019 and 2020 are given in the table below :-

Table : Road Fatalities by Road Category (2019 and 2020)

| Category of Road                                |   Road Length (in KM) (2019) |   Road Fatalities in 2019 |   Road Fatalities in 2020 |
|-------------------------------------------------|------------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|
| All Roads in the Country (NH, SH & other Roads) |                  6.33176e+06 |                  151113   |                  131714   |
| National Highways (NH)                          |             132499           |                   53872   |                   47984   |
| % share of NH in total                          |                  2.1         |                      35.7 |                      36.4 |
| State Highways (SH)                             |             179535           |                   38472   |                   33148   |
| % share of SH in total                          |                  2.8         |                      25.5 |                      25.2 |

The  analysis  of  data  from  the  States/UTs  reveals  that  road accidents are the result of interplay of various factors which can broadly be  categorized  into  human  error,  Road  condition/environment  and vehicular  condition. Steps  taken  to  reduce  the  road  accidents  on National Highways are detailed below:

- Ministry has defined Protocol for identification of Blackspots as per the circular no. RW/NH-15017/109/2015-P&M (RSCE) Dated 28.10.2015.  As  per   this  circular,  Road  Accident  Black-spot  is  a stretch of National Highway of about 500 m in length in which either 5  road  accidents (in  all     three  years  put  together  involving fatalities /grievous injuries) took place   during the last 3 calendar years or 10 fatalities (in all three years put together) took place during the last 3 calendar years. Based on Road accidents data collected by police departments  of  State  Governments  and compiled  by  Transport  Research  Wing  (TRW)  of  this  Ministry, Blackspots  are  identified  for  undertaking  immediate  short  term measures  for  mitigation  and  long  term  measures  for  permanent rectification.
- Ministry vide letter dated 9 th  September 2021 has written to Chief Secretaries of all the States,  Principal Secretaries/Secretaries/ All engineers-In Chief and Chief Engineers of (Public Works Department)  of  all  the  States,  Director  General  (Border  Roads), Chairman (NHAI), Managing Director (NHIDCL), All CE-ROs/SE-ROs and ELOs of the Ministry and all Project Directors of Ministry to take advance action for removal of accident spots on National highways
- as per police reports without waiting for converting them into black spots after accidents/fatalities.
- Detailed  guidelines  for  taking  up  road  safety  audits  on  National Highways  have  been  prepared  and  notified.  Road  Safety  Audits have  been  made  part  and  parcel  of all National  Highways development  projects  on  EPC/BOT  modes.  Ministry  has  issued circular which makes it mandatory to carry out road safety audit for all new road projects having length of 5 km or more at the stage of Detail Project Report (PR)/Engineering Design.
- 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.  Also,  Supreme  Court committee  on  Road  safety,  during  various  meetings,  has  issued direction to various state governments for implementation of Road safety measures including Engineering measures.
- All the executing agencies are directed to ensure safety provisions for highways during construction. Necessary action is to be taken to  ensure  provision  of  road  signages,  construction  of  diversion roads and other requisite provisions as per NH guidelines and IRC standards.  IRC  has  already  issued  IRC:  SP:55-2014  regarding 'Guidelines on Traffic Management in Work Zones'.
- Ministry has taken following steps to improve road safety infrastructure through its implementing agencies i.e NHAI, NHIDCL and NH wings of State PWDs:-
- i. To carry out all stage (Design, construction, and operation) road safety    audits for all National Highways;
- ii. Provision  of  Rumble  strips  or  bar  markings  at  the  approaches of junctions on NHs;
- iii. Provision of Speed Limit signs at desired locations of NHs network;
- iv. Provision of Speed breakers and associated signage on side roads;
- v. Provision of amber beacons for traffic approaching a junction as per IRC.
- vi. Installation  of  Crash  barriers  on  High  embankments  and  in  hilly terrain;
- vii. Encouraging engineers for certificate course in road safety audit for which MOUs are signed with IITs and other leading technical education/research institutions:
- viii. Developed a Blackspot MIS portal where details of all blackspots, ids, photographs, and rectification status and post rectification feedback shall be collected and monitored.

(c) to (e)    The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has amended Rule  95  of  the  Central  Motor  Vehicles  Rules,  1989,  which  mandates requirements of Rolling resistance, Wet Grip and Rolling Sound Emissions for tyres falling under classes C1 (passenger cars), C2 (light truck)  and  C3  (truck  and  bus),  as  defined  in  the  Automotive  Industry Standard 142:2019. The said tyres shall meet the Wet grip requirements and Stage 2 limits of Rolling Resistance and Rolling Sound Emissions, as specified in this AIS.

The stage 2 requirements for rolling resistance co-efficient in respect of C1, C2 and C3 tyres are indicated in AIS:142.

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