Eyes on the road, Pg6

Key Highlights:

• India accounts for approximately 11% of global road traffic fatalities despite having only 1% of the world’s vehicular fleet.
• Widespread non-compliance with seat belt and helmet use contributes significantly to road traffic deaths.
• The Supreme Court recently asked the Road Transport Ministry to consider a petition aimed at reducing road traffic deaths.
• The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019 introduced mechanisms for road safety, but national data has not shown significant improvement.
• In 2024, two-wheeler riders constituted 46.2% and pedestrians 20.6% of total road deaths.

Detailed Insights:

• Post-crash investigations frequently reveal victims being ejected from vehicles or suffering lethal secondary collisions inside vehicle interiors.
• Children are particularly vulnerable due to inconsistent use of child restraint systems and rear-seat belts.
• Actual policing of road safety measures is often inadequate, partly due to chronic shortages of traffic police personnel.
• There is scope to mandate manufacturers to install tamper-proof seat belt reminders and prevent post-purchase modifications.
• Enforcing seat belt and child restraint adoption addresses the reasons underlying only about one-third of total road mortality.
• Speeding has been identified as the dominant recorded violation associated with road fatalities.
• A national strategy focused on mitigating opportunities for vehicles to accelerate to high speeds could yield greater safety gains.
• Neither the Union government nor State governments have systematically employed the 'Safe System' approach to road safety.
• The 'Safe System' approach involves designing roads to reduce crash probability and severity, fixing accident-prone locations, and improving trauma care.
• India currently lacks a public culture that consistently reinforces safe behavior and deters unsafe behavior on roads.
• The Supreme Court's referral of the petition to the Centre acknowledges that road safety requires a comprehensive governmental approach beyond judicial intervention.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019: Legislation enacted to enhance road safety, increase penalties for traffic violations, and promote technological solutions.
• Safe System approach: A holistic road safety strategy that acknowledges human fallibility and designs the road system to minimize the risk and severity of crashes.
• Child Restraint Systems: Devices designed to secure and protect child occupants in vehicles during a collision or sudden stop.