Two-wheeler crash deaths more than double in a decade

NEW DELHI: Deaths of two-wheeler riders in crashes has more than doubled in a decade, between 2009 and 2019, as these vehicles with the least protective feature for occupants have become more popular for being the most affordable and easiest mode of transport.
The trend is almost similar in the case of occupants of cars and jeeps, though the numbers are much bigger in the case of two-wheeler occupants.
The comparative analysis of the 10 years’ data of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) shows that the share of two-wheeler occupants' deaths has increased year-on-year basis. While the share of such fatalities was 20.7% of total road deaths in 2009, it increased to 38% during last year.
The data also show that as compared to fatalities of 26,219 two-wheeler occupants in 2009, last year it increased to 58,747. In the case of car occupants, the number of fatalities rose from 9,594 in 2009 to 22,637 during 2019.
The comparison of two-wheeler occupants’ deaths also indicates a worrying trend of how little discipline of these drivers on road is also increasing the cases of fatal accidents going by the classification of fatalities under ‘offender’ and ‘victim’ categories.
For example, in 2015, out of the total 43,540 deaths, 16,289 were offenders and the rest 27,242 were victims. Gradually the share offenders in total deaths have increased over the past five years. In 2019, out of the total fatalities of 58,747 two-wheeler occupants, 27,654 were categorized as offenders in police records and the rest 31,097 were victims.
For all South East Asian countries including India, a high share of fatalities of two-wheeler occupants has been a major cause of concern. Though several steps have been taken to improve safety of two-wheeler riders such as anti-lock braking systems and combined braking systems have been made mandatory in India to improve safety in two-wheelers, the numbers are still rising.
One of the options that some of the countries have successfully implemented is to have a segregated lane for two-wheelers to avoid conflict with other vehicles on the road.