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Deadliest Indian Roads
Context:
A road accident in Dehradun last week claimed six lives and critically injured one, underscoring India’s status as the world’s deadliest for road fatalities.
More on News:
- In 2022, nearly 170,000 people died, and 423,158 were injured in 446,788 crashes—figures marking a 10% rise in deaths and 11% in crashes from 2021.
- India, with 14% of global road accident deaths, far surpasses China’s 61,000 fatalities.
- The economic cost is staggering, with road accidents draining an estimated 3% of the country’s GDP annually.
Key Causes of Accidents:
- Over-speeding and reckless driving are the primary culprits, responsible for 87% of accidents and fatalities, while driving under the influence caused 1.7%.
- Collisions, including rear-end hits (19.5%), hit-and-runs (18.1%), and head-on crashes (15%), are significant contributors.
- National highways, despite comprising only 2% of road length, account for over 30% of accidents and 35% of deaths.
- Two-wheelers are the most accident-prone, causing over 45,000 fatalities annually.
Who Are the Most Vulnerable?
- Two-wheeler riders face the highest risk, accounting for 44.5% of fatalities, followed by pedestrians at 19.5%.
- Pedestrian deaths have surged, more than doubling in six years, and now exceed combined pedestrian fatalities in the EU and Japan.
Efforts and Their Impact:
- The government has invested ₹50,000 crore to address accident-prone spots, upgrade highways with local passageways, and improve law enforcement through cameras.
- Licensing systems are also being modernised.
- These measures have yielded some results, with the road accident rate per lakh population dropping from 41.1 in 2011 to 33.5 in 2022.
Why Progress Is Limited:
- Efforts are hampered by poor coordination between government agencies, with only four states installing highway electronic surveillance systems.
- Safety measures disproportionately focus on cars, which account for 15% of fatalities, neglecting vulnerable groups like two-wheeler riders and pedestrians.
- Weak licensing norms and limited road safety awareness further exacerbate the problem.
- Addressing these systemic challenges will require a holistic approach to improve education, enforcement, and infrastructure for safer roads in India.
