Lok Sabha Question No. 744 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-07
Subject: Reducing Road Accidents
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Chandra Sekhar Sahu, Pritam Gopinath Munde, Rahul Ramesh Shewale, Gopal Chinayya Shetty

## be pleased to state:

- (a) whether India has the second largest road network in the World but at the same time road accidents is a big challenge for India;
- (b) if so, the facts thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (c) the number of road accidents reported in the country particularly in Odisha during each of the last three years;
- (d) whether a major chunk of GDP is lost due to the road accidents and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether the Union Government has set a target to reduce the road accidents to half by 2024/2030;
- (f) if so, the details of the action plan and the steps taken by the Union Government to achieve this target; and
- (g) the extent to which road accidents have reduced in the country?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b)     As per Basic Road Statistics of India publication, India has a road network of 63,31,757 Km of roads as on 31st March, 2019, which is the second largest in the World after the United States of America with a  road  network  of  66,45,709  Km.   With  rapid  expansion  of  the  road network, increasing number of vehicles and increase in average speed on roads, India is also witnessing a high number of road accidents.  As per  the  data  received  from  the  police  department  of  all  States/UTs, 4,61,312 number of road accidents were reported during the calendar year 2022.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 744 ANSWERED ON 7 TH  DECEMBER, 2023

## REDUCING ROAD ACCIDENTS

## 744.  SHRI CHANDRA SEKHAR SAHU:

DR. PRITAM GOPINATHRAO MUNDE:

SHRI RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE:

SHRI GOPAL CHINNAYA SHETTY:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

- (c)      As  per  the  data  received  from  the  police  department  of  all States/UTs, state-wise details of  road accidents during the last three years is attached as Annexure. (d) As per report 'Study on Socio -Economic cost of Road Accidents in India' by DIMTS in association with TRIPP -IIT Delhi, the socio-economic costs of road crashes in the country is around 3.14% of Nation's GDP. (e)  Government of India has reaffirmed its commitment in the Stockholm Declaration to reduce number of road traffic deaths and injuries to 50% by 2030. (f)  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 through social media, electronic media and print media. Further, Ministry administers  a scheme  to  provide  financial  assistance  to various agencies towards 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 Auditor has been mandated for technical officers of all road owning agencies under the Ministry up to the level of Superintending Engineer or equivalent. iv.         To  impart  driving  training,  Ministry  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 (both of Roads and vehicles) 2.1.    Road engineering: i.           Road  safety  has  been  made  an  integral  part  of  road  design  at planning stage. ii.       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. iii.      High priority is accorded to identification and rectification of black
- spots /accident spots on NHs.
- iv.      Road Safety Officer (RSO) has been designated at each Regional Office  of  road  owning  agencies  under  the  Ministry  to  look  after  RSA, blackspot rectification and other road safety related works.
- v.       130 stretches of NH have been identified for developing as Model Safe Roads under the Ministry.
- vi.      85 project stretches of NH have been identified for developing as Model Safe Construction Zone under the Ministry.
- vii.       Ministry administers the electronic Detailed Accident Report (eDAR) Project to establish a central repository for reporting, management and analysis of road accidents data across the Country.
- viii.    Ministry and IRC have issued various codes and guidelines, time to time,  to  implement  various  road  safety  measures  so  as  to  minimize accidents on National Highways.
- ix.   Ministry vide letter dated 20.07.2023 has issued guidelines for the provision  of  signages  on  Expressways  and  National  Highways  by incorporating best practices and  International standards  to offer improved visibility and intuitive guidance to the drivers. The guidelines are  designed  to  offer  drivers  clear  and  concise  guidance,  warnings, notices  and  regulatory  information,  facilitating  a  seamless  and  safe journey on the roads.

## 2.2    Vehicle engineering:

Ministry has taken various initiatives 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 vide notification dated 15th February, 2022 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 from 01st July, 2019 : -

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 approval of vehicles for protection of occupants in the event of an Offset Frontal Collision, for requirements of 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 event of a collision with a motor vehicle.
- vi.      Mandated speed limiting function/speed limiting device in all transport vehicles,  except  for  two  wheelers,  three  wheelers, quadricycles, fire tenders, ambulances and police vehicles.
- vii.     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 from 1 st October, 2023.

viii. Prescribed the format in which vehicle manufacturers issue the Road Worthiness Certification for registering motor vehicles.

- ix.     Published  the  rules  for  recognition,  regulation  and  control  of Automated  Testing  Stations  vide  notification  GSR  652  (E)  dt  23 rd September 2021 and its amendment vide GSR 797 (E) dt 31 st  October 2022. 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 25 th  September 2021.
- x.      Published  the   Motor  Vehicles  (Registration  and  Functions  of Vehicle Scrapping Facility) Rules, 2021 for establishment of Registered Vehicles Scrapping Facility (RVSF) vide notification  GSR 653 (E) dt 23 rd  September 2021 and its amendment vide GSR 695 (E) dt  13 th   September  2022.  These  rules  for  RVSF  prescribe  the procedure for setting up and operation of such facilities.
- xi. Formulated the Vehicle Scrapping Policy based on incentives/dis-incentives and for creating an ecosystem to phase out older, unfit a polluting vehicles.

xii. 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.

xiii. A new rule 126E in CMVR (Central Motor Vehicles Rules), 1989 regarding  the  Bharat  New  Car  Assessment  Program  (BNCAP)  has been inserted vide G.S.R.  698(E) dated 27th September, 2023 which introduces  the  concept  of  safety  rating  of  passenger  cars  and empowers consumers to take informed decisions.

## (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.    Ministry has issued notification G.S.R. 575(E) dated 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, closed-circuit television camera,  speed  gun,  body  wearable  camera,  dashboard  camera, Automatic  Number  Plate  Recognition  (ANPR),  weigh  in  machine (WIM)  and  any  such  other  technology  specified  by  the  State Government).

## (4)        Emergency care:

- i.        Ministry  has  published  rules  vide  GSR  594(E)  dated  29 th September, 2020 for the protection of Good Samaritan, who in good faith, voluntarily and without expectation of any reward or compensation  renders  emergency  medical  or  nonmedical  care  or assistance at the scene of an accident to the victim or transports such victim to the hospital.
- ii.       Ministry  vide  notification  dated  25th  February,  2022  has 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 corridor of National Highways.

- (g)   The  analysis  of  the  road  accidents and fatalities data in terms of number of vehicles and road length indicates that the road accidents per 10,000  vehicles  have  reduced  from  17.2  in  2018  to  11.9  in  2022  and

accidents per 10,000 Kms of roads have reduced from 757 in 2018 to 688 in 2022. Similarly, road fatalities per 10,000 vehicles have reduced from 5.8 in 2018 to 4.3 in 2022 and fatalities per 10,000 Kms of roads have reduced from 254 in 2018 to 250 in 2022.

Annexure - I ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION  NO.  744  ANSWERED  ON  7 TH   DECEMBER,  2023  ASKED  BY  SHRI CHANDRA SEKHAR SAHU AND ORS. REGARDING REDUCING ROAD ACCIDENTS.

## State/UT wise, the total number of Road Accidents :-

| Sl. No.            | States/UTs    | 2020   | 2021   | 2022   |
|--------------------|---------------|--------|--------|--------|
| 1 Andhra           | Pradesh 19509 | 21556  |        | 21249  |
| 2 Arunachal        | Pradesh 134   |        | 283    | 227    |
| 3 Assam            | 6595          |        | 7411   | 7023   |
| 4 Bihar            | 8639          |        | 9553   | 10801  |
| 5 Chhattisgarh     | 11656         |        | 12375  | 13279  |
| 6 Goa              | 2375          |        | 2849   | 3011   |
| 7 Gujarat          | 13398         |        | 15186  | 15751  |
| 8 Haryana          | 9431          |        | 9933   | 10429  |
| 9 Himachal Pradesh | 2239          |        | 2404   | 2597   |
| 10 Jharkhand       | 4405          |        | 4728   | 5175   |
| 11 Karnataka       | 34178         |        | 34647  | 39762  |
| 12 Kerala          | 27877         |        | 33296  | 43910  |
| 13 Madhya Pradesh  | 45266         |        | 48877  | 54432  |
| 14 Maharashtra     | 24971         |        | 29477  | 33383  |
| 15 Manipur         | 432           |        | 366    | 508    |
| 16 Meghalaya       | 214           |        | 245    | 246    |
| 17 Mizoram         | 53            |        | 69     | 133    |
| 18 Nagaland        | 500           |        | 746    | 489    |
| 19 Odisha          | 9817          |        | 10983  | 11663  |
| 20 Punjab          | 5203          |        | 5871   | 6138   |
| 21 Rajasthan       | 19114         |        | 20951  | 23614  |
| 22 Sikkim          | 138           |        | 155    | 211    |
| 23 Tamil Nadu      | 49844         |        | 55682  | 64105  |
| 24 Telangana       | 19172         |        | 21315  | 21619  |
| 25 Tripura         | 466           |        | 479    | 575    |
| 26 Uttarakhand     | 1041          |        | 1405   | 1674   |
| 27 Uttar Pradesh   | 34243         |        | 37729  | 41746  |
| 28 West Bengal     | 10863         |        | 11937  | 13686  |
| 29 A & N Islands   | 141           |        | 115    | 141    |
| 30                 | Chandigarh    | 159    | 208    | 237    |
| 31 D & N Haveli    | 100           |        | 140    | 196    |
| 32 Daman & Diu     | $             |        | $      | $      |
| 33 Delhi           | 4178          |        | 4720   | 5652   |
| 34 Jammu & Kashmir | 4860          |        | 5452   | 6092   |
| 35 Ladakh          | NA            |        | 236    | 374    |
| 36 Lakshadweep     | 1             |        | 4      | 3      |
| 37 Puducherry      |               | 969    | 1049   | 1181   |
| Total              | Total         | 372181 | 412432 | 461312 |

Note   $: Data for Daman & Diu and Dadar & Nagar Haveli has been received as the two union territory were merged on 20th January, 2020 to be known as Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

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