Nearly 18 people are killed every hour in India in road accidents, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
The ministry cited the 2021 data, which it received from the police department of all states and Union Territories. It says the total number of road accident fatalities in 2021 is 1,53,972, “which translate, on an average, into 18 deaths every hour”.
Responding to a question from Mumbai South MP Arvind Ganpat Sawant and Badaun MP Sanghmitra Maurya, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said as per the International Road Federation World Road Statistics, 2022, a person killed/1,00,000 population due to road accidents varies from 0 to 39.4, and for India it is 9.5.
“Road accidents occur due to multiple causes such as over speeding, use of mobile phone, drunken driving/consumption of alcohol and drugs, driving on the 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,” the minister added.
The ministry also informed the House that to address the issue of road safety, it has formulated a multi-pronged strategy based on education, engineering – both of roads and vehicles, enforcement and emergency care.
Among some of the measures listed by the ministry were mandatory provision of an airbag for the passenger seated on the front seat of a vehicle and norms related to safety measures for children below four years of age, riding or being carried on a motorcycle. Further, it specifies use of a safety harness, crash helmet and restricts speed to 40kmph.
It also said at least 130 stretches of national highways (NH) have been identified for developing as Model Safe Roads under the ministry and 85 project stretches of NH have been identified for developing as Model Safe Construction Zone.