Lok Sabha Question No. 1182 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-27
Subject: Road Safety Measures
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Pushpendra Singh Chandel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1182

ANSWERED ON 27 TH  JULY, 2023

## ROAD SAFETY MEASURES

1182. SHRI KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the safety measures adopted for road transportation and  National  Highways  (NHs)  in  the  country  and  the  awareness measures taken in this regard;
- (b) the  details  of  the  initiatives  taken  for  review  of  improvement  of road infrastructure and use of modern technology along with the adoption of safety measures in vehicles; and
- (c) the  number  of  casualties  in  road  accidents  across  the  country, particularly  in  Bundelkhand  region  along  with  the  details  of assistance provided to the victims, State-wise?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (b)     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)
7. 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.
17. 2.2    Vehicle engineering:
- i.      Ministry has notified the mandatory provision of an airbag for the passenger seated on the front seat of a vehicle, next to the driver.
- ii.     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.
- iii.    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
- iv.    Ministry has 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.      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  event  of  a collision with a motor vehicle.
- vi.   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.
- vii.   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 been
6. protection system in occupant compartment has also mandated from 1 st  October, 2023.
- viii. Ministry has prescribed the format in which vehicle manufacturers issue  the  Road  Worthiness  Certification  for  registering  motor vehicles.
- ix.  Ministry administers a 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.
- x.    Ministry vide Notification GSR 652 (E) dt 23 rd  September 2021 and its amendment vide GSR 797 (E) dt  31 st   October  2022  published  the rules 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 25 th September 2021.
- xi.   Ministry vide Notification  GSR 653 (E) dt 23 rd  September 2021 and its amendment vide GSR 695 (E) dt 13 th  September 2022 published the Motor Vehicles (Registration and Functions of Vehicle Scrapping  Facility)  Rules,  2021  for  establishment  of  Registered Vehicles Scrapping Facility (RVSF). These rules for RVSF prescribe the procedure for setting up and operation of such facilities.
- xii.   Ministry  has  formulated  the  Vehicle  Scrapping  Policy  based  on incentives/dis-incentives and for creating an ecosystem to phase out older, unfit polluting vehicles.
- (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.
19. (c)     As per the data received from police department of all States/UTs, state-wise total number of fatalities due to road accidents in the country during calendar year 2021 is annexed as per Annexure. Further, Ministry does not maintain region-wise data on road accidents.

Enabling provisions relating to payment of compensation to victims of  road  accidents  and  their  families  have  been  given  in  the  Motor Vehicles Act, 1988  under  section 161  (Special provisions as to compensation in case of hit and run motor accident) and section 164 (Payment of compensation in case of death or grievous hurt).

Ministry vide notification dated 25 th  February, 2022 has enhanced compensation to 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).

Ministry  has  also  issued  notification  dated  25 th  February,  2022 mandating the procedure for detailed investigation of road accidents, the Detailed Accident Report (DAR) and its reporting, along with timelines for  different  stakeholders  and  for  faster  settlements  of  claims  by  the Motor  Accident  Claim  Tribunal  (MACT).  Claims  are  filed  at  Motor Accident Claims Tribunals at State Level. No centralized details with respect to compensation cases is available with the Ministry.

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (c)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  1182  ANSWERED  ON  27 TH   JULY,  2023 ASKED BY SHRI KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL REGARDING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES.

State-wise number of Fatalities due to road accident in year 2021:-

| S. No. State/UT   | S. No. State/UT   | Fatalities   |
|-------------------|-------------------|--------------|
| 1                 | Andhra Pradesh    | 8,186        |
| 2                 | Arunachal Pradesh | 157          |
| 3                 | Assam             | 3,036        |
| 4                 | Bihar             | 7,660        |
| 5                 | Chhattisgarh      | 5,371        |
| 6                 | Goa               | 226          |
| 7                 | Gujarat           | 7,452        |
| 8                 | Haryana           | 4,706        |
| 9                 | Himachal Pradesh  | 1,052        |
| 10                | Jharkhand         | 3,513        |
| 11                | Karnataka         | 10,038       |
| 12                | Kerala            | 3,429        |
| 13                | Madhya Pradesh    | 12,057       |
| 14                | Maharashtra       | 13,528       |
| 15                | Manipur           | 110          |
| 16                | Meghalaya         | 187          |
| 17                | Mizoram           | 56           |
| 18                | Nagaland          | 55           |
| 19                | Odisha            | 5,081        |
| 20                | Punjab            | 4,589        |
| 21                | Rajasthan         | 10,043       |
| 22                | Sikkim            | 56           |
| 23                | Tamil Nadu        | 15,384       |
| 24                | Telangana         | 7,557        |
| 25                | Tripura           | 194          |
| 26                | Uttarakhand       | 820          |
| 27                | Uttar Pradesh     | 21,227       |
| 28                | West Bengal       | 5,800        |
| 29                | A & N Islands     | 20           |
| 30                | Chandigarh        | 96           |
| 31                | D & N Haveli      | 76*          |
| 32                | Daman & Diu       |              |
| 33                | Delhi             | 1,239        |
| 34                | Jammu & Kashmir   | 774          |
| 35                | Ladakh            | 56           |
| 36                | Lakshadweep       | 1            |
| 37                | Puducherry        | 140          |
| Total             | Total             | 1,53,972     |

Note:  *Data of D &N Haveli includes data of Daman &Diu

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