Lok Sabha Question No. 4 (STARRED), answered on 2023-07-20
Subject: Deaths Due to Road Accidents
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Arvind Ganpat Sawant, Sanghamitra Maurya

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 4 ANSWERED ON 20 TH  JULY, 2023 DEATHS DUE TO ROAD ACCIDENTS

## *4. SHRI ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT: DR. SANGHMITRA MAURYA:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

## be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is true that India has the highest death rate due to road accidents in the world and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government is aware that eighteen people die every hour in road accidents in the country and if so, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether  road  accidents  in  various  cities,  States  and  towns  are continuously  increasing  in  the  country  and  if  so,  the  reasons therefor;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  undertaken/  conducted  any  survey with  regard  to  the  number  of  people  dying  every  hour  in  road accidents in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether the State of Maharashtra has the highest number of road accidents  and  road  deaths  in  the  country  and  if  so,  the  reasons therefor; and
- (f) whether  most  of  the  road  accidents  are  caused  due  to  poor functioning of system and lack of maintenance of roads and if so, the measures taken/being taken by the Government to curb such accidents?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

(SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

- (a) to (f) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) TO (f) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *4 FOR ANSWER ON 20.07.2023, ASKED BY  SHRI  ARVIND  GANPAT  SAWANT  &  DR.  SANGHMITRA  MAURYA REGARDING DEATHS DUE TO ROAD ACCIDENTS.

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- (a),  (b),  (d)  &  (f)               As  per  the  International  Road  Federation  (IRF) World  Road  Statistics -2022,  person  killed/1,00,000  population  due  to road accidents varies from 0 to 39.4, whereas for India it is 9.5.

As per the data received from police department of all States/UTs, total number  of  road  accident  fatalities  in  the  year  2021  is  153972,  which translate, on an average, into 18 deaths every hour. 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, fault of driver/ cyclist/ pedestrian etc.

Further,  to  address  the  issue  of  road  safety  Ministry  has  formulated  a multi-pronged strategy 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)
6. 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 (e-DAR) Project to establish a central repository for reporting, management and analysis of road accidents data across the Country.
- viii.   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.
15. 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 protection system in occupant compartment has also been 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
8. 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 corridors of National Highways.

- (c)     As per the data received from police department of all States/UTs, total number of road accidents in States/UTs (All over India) and 50 cities (Million Plus Cities) for the calendar year 2017 to 2021 are given below : -

|   Year | States/UTs (All over India)   | 50 cities (Million Plus cities)   |
|--------|-------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
| 464910 | 82286                         | 2017                              |
| 467044 | 85318                         | 2018                              |
| 449002 | 82781                         | 2019                              |
| 366138 | 58736                         | 2020                              |
|   2021 | 412432 67301                  |                                   |

However, Ministry does not collect town specific road accidents data.

- (e)     Maharashtra holds 6th position in road accidents and 3rd position in deaths across the country as per report 'Road Accidents in India 2021' .

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