Lok Sabha Question No. 4564 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-19
Subject: Strategy to Reduce Road Accident Fatalities
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Smt. Poonamben Hematbhai Maadam

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4564 ANSWERED ON 19 TH  MARCH, 2026

## STRATEGY TO REDUCE ROAD ACCIDENT FATALITIES

4564. SMT. POONAMBEN HEMATBHAI MAADAM:

Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

## be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  steps  to  strengthen  the safety  and  maintenance  of  National  Highways  and  bridges  across the Country, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the details of the implementation of structural health monitoring mechanisms of bridges; and
- (c)  whether  the  Government  has  implemented  any  strategy  to reduce road accident fatalities in line with the 4E framework and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

(SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

- (a)  Development  and  maintenance  of  National  Highways  (NHs), including bridges thereon, is a continuous process. The condition of NHs including condition of bridges is assessed from time to time by the  executing  agencies.  The  maintenance  works  on  NHs  are accordingly  taken  up  to  keep  the  NHs  in  traffic  worthy  condition. Such works also include rectification of deficiencies and damages

caused due to various reasons, rehabilitation and strengthening of NHs, repair / rehabilitation / construction of bridges etc.

The Government has evolved a mechanism to ensure Maintenance and Repair (M&R) of all NHs sections including bridges through accountable maintenance agency.

The M&R of stretches of NHs, where development works have commenced or Operation, Maintenance and Transfer (OMT) Concessions/  Operation  and  Maintenance  (O&M)  Contracts  have been awarded, are the responsibility of the concerned Concessionaires/  Contractors  till  the  end  of  the  Defect  Liability Period  (DLP)/  the  Concession  Period.  Similarly,  for  NHs  stretches undertaken  under  TOT  (Toll Operate  and  Transfer) and InvIT (Infrastructure Investment  Trust), M&R  responsibility lies with concerned Concessionaire till the end of the Concession Period.

For all remaining sections of NHs stretches, Government has taken  a  policy  decision  to  undertake  maintenance  works  through Performance  based  Maintenance  Contract  (PBMC)  or  Short  Term Maintenance Contract (STMC), leaving no section of NHs without an accountable contractual maintenance agency.

The Government  in the Ministry of Road  Transport and Highways follows a well established system of inspection / maintenance protocol for periodic assessment of physical condition of  bridges.  Guidelines  have  been  issued  for  identification  and rectification of bridges on National Highways which are in severely damaged  and  precarious  condition.  Development  of  Indian  Bridge Management System (IBMS) is in advanced stage of development.

Necessary road safety measures are taken up during design, construction, operation and maintenance stages. Further, Guidelines have been issued for regular safety audit of all  NHs at design, construction, pre-opening stage of NH projects as well as on existing NHs for ensuring road safety.

- (b)    Visual  as  well  as  equipment  based  periodical  inspection, evaluation  and  monitoring  has  been  mandated  for  NHs,  including bridges, to ensure that structural integrity of various components of NHs is maintained through timely repair/rehabilitation intervention. Structural health monitoring on real time basis is also carried out in

some very important bridges.  Policy guidelines and model bidding documents  have been issued for real time structural health monitoring of bridges on continuous/ discrete manner. (c) Government has formulated a multi-pronged strategy to address the  issue  of  road  safety  based  on  4E's  i.e.  Education,  Engineering (both  of  roads  and  vehicles),  Enforcement  and  Emergency  Care. Accordingly, various initiatives have been taken for road safety in the country as detailed at Annexure.

## ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4564 ANSWERED ON 19 TH  MARCH, 2026 ASKED  BY  SMT.  POONAMBEN  HEMATBHAI  MAADAM  REGARDING 'STRATEGY TO REDUCE ROAD ACCIDENT FATALITIES'.

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

- (1)        Education:
- i.         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. Recently revised scheme guidelines have been issued, incorporating enhanced financial assistance and streamlined eligibility criteria for establishing Driving Training Institutes. Additionally, incentives have been introduced for setting up  Automated  Testing  Stations  (ATS)  in  conjunction  with  Driving Training Institutes (DTIs) under the Training-Testing Cluster approach.
- ii. Administers Road Safety Advocacy Scheme  for raising awareness  about  road  safety  and  for  administering  road  safety programs.
- iii.       Observance  of  National  Road  Safety  Month  every  year  for spreading awareness and strengthening road safety.
- (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 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:

- 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.      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
3. 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/dis-incentives  and  for  creating  an  ecosystem  to  phase out old, unfit and polluting vehicles.
- viii.     Formulated  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
12. 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.
- xiii.    Published  rules  for  Active  safety  features  in  Medium  and Heavy  Duty  vehicles,  which  provide  for  Braking  System  including Anti-lock Braking, Endurance Braking System for M2, M3, N1, N2, N3 and Quadricycle (effective for new models from 1st January, 2027 and  for  existing  models  from  1st  October,  2027),  and  Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) including Vehicle Stability Function  (VSF),  Lane  Departure  Warning  System  (LDWS),  Driver Drowsiness and Attention Warning Systems, Blind Spot Information Systems and Moving off Information Systems for M2, M3, N2 and N3 categories of vehicles (effective for new models from 1st October, 2027 and for existing models from 1st January, 2028).

## (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.  Traffic  management  and enforcement is essentially in the domain of State Governments/UT Administrations.  While  Central  Government  formulates  rules  under the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, the enforcement of these rules comes under the purview of State Governments/UT Administrations.
- 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 cities having a population of more than one million in the country and cities under National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).
- iii.       Government has issued guidelines for incentive to States for Implementation of Electronic Enforcement of Road Safety under the Scheme  for  Special  Assistance  to  States  for  Capital  Investment 2025-26 (SASCI 2025-26) with allocation of Rs. 3,000 Crore (on first come first serve basis).

iv.      On 10th June, 2024, the 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.         Revised  the  scheme  guidelines  (named  as  Rah-Veer)  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.  As  per  the  scheme,  the  reward  for  Rah-Veer  has  been increased to Rs. 25,000/- from Rs. 5,000/-.
- 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 and Highways has notified the Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims Scheme, 2025  on  5th  May,  2025.  The  detailed  guidelines  including  process flow,  stakeholder  wise  standard  operating  procedures  and  clearly delineated roles and responsibilities have also been notified on 4th June, 2025.
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