Lok Sabha Question No. 626 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-06
Subject: Death due to Drunk Driving
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 626

ANSWERED ON 06 TH  FEBRUARY, 2025

## DEATH DUE TO DRUNK DRIVING

## 626. SHRI TRIVENDRA SINGH RAWAT:

Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

## be pleased to state:

- (a)       whether  the  Government  has  conducted  any  study  on accidents caused by drunk driving, particularly in hilly areas like Uttarakhand;
- (b)       if  so,  whether  the  Government  has  details  of  these accidents, including the number of accidents, total deaths, types of accidents, and other related data; and
- (c)     whether the Government is planning any special initiatives to  prevent  drunk  driving  incidents  in  these  areas,  if  so,  the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## (SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

- (a) and (b)  The Central Government  publishes report on 'Road Accidents in India' based on data received from States/ UTs. As per the  data  received  from  States/UTs,  road  accidents  occur  due  to multiple causes such as over speeding, use of mobile phone, drunken driving/consumption  of  alcohol  and  drug,  driving  on  wrong  side/  lane indiscipline,  jumping  red  light,  non-use  of  safety  devices  such  as helmets  and  seat  belts,  vehicular  condition,  weather  condition,  road condition  etc.  Total  number  of  Road  accidents  and  fatalities  due  to

drunken driving/consumption of alcohol and drug on all categories of roads  in  the  country  in  the  year  2022  were  10,080  and  4,201 respectively,  including  13  accidents  and  7  fatalities  in  the  State  of Uttarakhand.

- (c)      Section  185  of  the  Motor  Vehicles  Act,  1988  provides  for  the following  provisions  of  punishment  in  case  of  driving  by  a  drunken person or by a person under the influence of drugs:

'for  the  first  offence with  imprisonment  for  a  term  which  may extend  to  six  months,  or  with  fine of  ten  thousand  rupees,  or with  both;  and  for  a  second  or  subsequent  offence,  with imprisonment for term which may extend to two years, or with fine of fifteen thousand rupees or with both'.

Implementation  of  the  Motor  Vehicles  Act,  1988  and  Central  Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 comes under the purview of the State/UTs.

Government  in  the  Ministry  of  Road  Transport  &  Highways  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  for  road  safety  in  the  country including hilly areas as detailed at Annexure.

## ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  REPLY  TO  PART  (c)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 626 ANSWERED ON 06.02.2025 ASKED BY SHRI TRIVENDRA SINGH RAWAT REGARDING DEATH DUE TO DRUNK DRIVING.

Details  of  various  initiatives  taken  by  the  Central  Government  in Ministry of Road Transport & Highways for road safety : -

- (1)        Education:
- i.        Administers  Road  Safety  Advocacy  Scheme  to provide  financial assistance  to  various  agencies  for  raising  awareness  about  road safety and for administering road safety programs.
- ii.      Observance  of  National  Road  Safety  Month/Week  every  year  for spreading awareness and strengthening road safety.
- iii.     Administers  a  scheme  for  setting  up  of  Institutes  of  Driving Training & Research (IDTRs), Regional Driving Training Centres (RDTCs)  and  Driving  Training  Centres  (DTCs)  at  state/district  level across the Country.
- (2)     Engineering :
6. 2.1.    Road engineering:
- i.      Road Safety Audit (RSA) of all National Highways (NHs) has been made mandatory through third party auditors/ experts at all stages i.e. design, construction, operation and maintenance etc.
- ii.      High  priority  is  accorded  to  identification  and  rectification  of black spots /accident spots on NHs.
- iii.    Road Safety Officer (RSO) has been designated at each Regional Office  of  road  owning  agencies  under  the  Ministry  to  look  after  RSA and other road safety related works.
- iv.     Administers  the  electronic  Detailed  Accident  Report  (e-DAR) Project  to  establish  a  central  repository  for  reporting,  management and analysis of road accidents data across the Country.
- v.      Issued  guidelines  for  the  provision  of  signages  on  Expressways and  National Highways  to  offer improved  visibility and  intuitive guidance to the drivers.
- vi.       Provisions  have been made in the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 for failure to comply with standards for the road design, construction and maintenance, as prescribed by the Central Government from time to time.
13. 2.2    Vehicle engineering:

Various initiatives were undertaken to make vehicles safer, including the following:-

- i.       Mandatory provision of an airbag for the passenger seated on the front seat of a vehicle, next to the driver.
- ii.        Prescribed norms related to safety measures for children below four  years  of  age,  riding  or  being  carried  on  a  motor  cycle.  It  also specifies use of a safety harness, crash helmet and restricts speed to 40kmph.
- iii. Mandatory  provisions  for  fitment  of  following  listed  safety technologies: -

For M1 category vehicles:

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

For all M and N category vehicles:

-  Reverse Parking Alert System
- iv.        Mandated 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.

- v.     Mandated  speed  limiting  function/speed  limiting  device  in  all transport vehicles, except for two wheelers, three wheelers, quadricycles, fire tenders, ambulances and police vehicles.
- vi.     Published  the  rules  for  recognition,  regulation  and  control  of Automated  Testing  Stations,  which  define  the  procedure  for  fitness testing  of  vehicles  through  automated  equipment  and  the  procedure for  grant  of  fitness  certificate  by  ATSs.  The  rules  have  been  further amended on 31.10.2022 and 14.03.2024.
- vii.   Formulated the Vehicle Scrapping Policy based on incentives/disincentives and for creating an ecosystem to phase out old, unfit and polluting vehicles.
- viii.  A Scheme to set up one model Inspection & Certification Centre in  each  State/UT  with  Central  assistance  for  testing  the  fitness  of vehicles through an automated system.
- ix.  Published rules regarding the Bharat New Car Assessment Program (BNCAP) to introduce the concept of safety rating of passenger cars and empower consumers to take informed decisions.
- x.  Published rules regarding prescribed level playing field in the area of manufacturing  of buses  by  Original  Equipment  Manufacturers (OEMs) and Bus Body Builders.
- xi.   Mandated  vehicles,  manufactured  on  or  after  1st  October,  2025, shall be fitted with an air-conditioning system for the cabin of vehicles of N2 (goods vehicle with gross vehicle weight exceeding 3.5 tonnes but  not  exceeding  12.0  tonnes)  and  N3  (goods  vehicle  with  gross vehicle weight exceeding 12.0 tonnes) category.
- xii. Published  rules for revision of standards  for Safety Belt, Restraint Systems and Safety Belt Reminder to provide provisions for applicability  of  revised  standards  for  safety  belt  assemblies,  safety

belt  anchorages  and  the  installation  of  Safety  Belts  and  Restraint Systems, in Motor vehicles of category M,N and L7 w.e.f. 01st April, 2025. Further, the vehicles of category M1, manufactured on and after the 1st April 2025, shall meet the requirement of safety belt reminder for all front facing rear seats as per AIS-145-2018.

## (3)        Enforcement:

- i. The  Motor  Vehicles  (Amendment)  Act,  2019  as  stands implemented provides for strict penalties for ensuring compliance and enhancing deterrence for violation of traffic rules and strict enforcement through use of technology.
- ii.         Issued rules for Electronic Monitoring and Enforcement of Road Safety.  The  rules  specify  the  detailed  provisions  for  placement  of electronic enforcement devices on high risk & high density corridors on National Highways, State Highways and critical junctions in Million plus  cities  in  India  and  cities  under  National  Clean  Air  Programme (NCAP).
- iii.      On  10th  June,  2024,  the  Central  Government  has  issued  an advisory  to  all  the  States  and  Union  territories  on  technological interventions for ensuring compliance with Motor Vehicle Act, 1988.

## (4)        Emergency care:

- i.   Published rules for the protection of Good Samaritan, who in good faith, voluntarily and without expectation of any reward or compensation  renders  emergency  medical  or  non-medical  care  or assistance at the scene of an accident to the victim or transports such victim to the hospital.
- ii.   Enhanced compensation of victims of Hit and Run motor accidents (from Rs.12,500 to Rs.50,000 for grievous hurt and from Rs.25,000 to Rs.2,00,000 for death).
- iii.  The National Highways Authority of India has made provisions for ambulances with paramedical staff/Emergency Medical Technician/Nurse at toll plazas on the completed corridors of National Highways.

iv.  Government in Ministry of Road Transport & Highways along with National Health Authority (NHA), has implemented a pilot program for providing cashless treatment to victims of road accidents in Chandigarh,Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Puducherry and Assam.

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