A New Law Aims to Change That.

India faces a road safety crisis. With nearly 150,000 deaths on Indian roads each year, India has the worst road safety record in the world. However, a new road safety law aims to dramatically change India’s abysmal track record and reduce the number of lives lost each day on Indian roads.

The Alarming Scale of India’s Road Safety Crisis

The statistics on road deaths and injuries in India are harrowing:

India accounts for 11% of road accident deaths worldwide, despite having just 1% of the world’s vehicles. Over 400 road accident deaths occur every day on Indian roads.
There are nearly half a million road accidents reported every year in India. Many more likely go unreported.
Road crashes cost India around 3% of its GDP annually. Beyond the immeasurable emotional trauma, the financial loss is massive.
India’s road death rate per 100,000 people is an extremely high 16.6. Comparatively, the UK and Sweden have rates of around 2.8 deaths per 100,000 people.
Vulnerable road users like pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists account for nearly 70% of those killed on Indian roads.

It’s clear that India is facing an unprecedented road safety emergency. The number of fatalities occurring on roads every day amounts to a national crisis.

Bold action is desperately needed to curb the deadly epidemic on Indian roads. Understanding the primary causes behind the deaths is an important first step.

Key Factors Behind India’s Road Safety Crisis

Several interlinked factors have combined to create the perfect storm leading to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Indians on roads each year:

Hazardous Roads and Road Engineering Issues

Road engineering practices and infrastructure conditions across India are far from safe for all users:

Footpaths and safe crossing areas for pedestrians are missing on most roads. Pedestrians are left to walk next to speeding traffic.
Crash barriers separating opposite traffic flows are not universally installed. Head-on collisions can easily occur.
Road lighting is inadequate on highways and urban roads. Driving at night carries extra dangers.
Road quality and maintenance is poor, with potholes, lack of signage, eroded road edges etc.

Basically, Indian roads and adjacent infrastructure are not designed to adequately protect vulnerable users. This leads directly to accidents and deaths.

Reckless Driving Behaviour and Disregard for Traffic Rules

Dangerous and unlawful driver behaviour is rampant across India. Key aspects include:

Speeding is widespread. Drivers frequently ignore speed limits and drive too fast for conditions.
Not wearing seatbelts in cars and helmets on two-wheelers heightens crash severity.
Drunk driving leads to thousands of road deaths yearly.
Distracted driving through mobile phone use causes accidents.
Disobeying traffic signals, improper overtaking and lane discipline issues are commonplace.

Essentially a lack of enforcement allows unlawful road behaviour to continue unchecked – with deadly impacts.

Vehicle Safety Issues

Many Indian vehicles have inadequate safety standards and technology:

Passenger vehicles lack essential safety features like airbags and ABS brakes.
Commercial vehicles are often old and poorly maintained. Faulty trucks and buses cause accidents.
Two-wheelers dominate Indian roads yet offer no protection to users. Motorcycles and mopeds are vulnerable vehicles.

So vehicles commonly found in India provide insufficient defense against crash impacts. This amplifies the number and severity of accidents on Indian roads.Insufficient Medical Care Post-Crash

The post-collision response system and trauma care facilities are under par. There are shortfalls with:

Having quality ambulances strategically placed around road networks.
The level of medical care from first responders at the crash scene.
Capabilities of hospitals to deal adequately with trauma cases.

Therefore the chances of minimizing harm and saving lives after a serious road crash occurrence are slim. The system fails people after collisions at the most crucial time.

Learn more about why India has the world’s deadliest roads.

So in summary, hazardous roads that fail to protect vulnerable road users, reckless driver behaviour going unchecked, vehicle safety inadequacies and trauma care delivery failings collectively create India’s recipe for road disaster.

The resulting impacts of India’s road safety crisis on society are deep and multifaceted.

Consequences of India’s Road Safety Crisis

Beyond the direct grief of suddenly losing loved ones, India’s road trauma epidemic has severe knock-on effects nationally:

Economic Impacts

The financial costs of medical treatment plus lost income and productivity from road deaths and injuries are immense.
Poor road safety deters tourism. Visitors may avoid a country with dangerous roads.
Supply chain distribution reliability is hindered by unsafe commercial vehicles. Goods fail to reach markets efficiently.

Transport Equity Impacts

With no safe walking and cycling options available, disadvantaged groups without vehicle access lose independent mobility.
Women’s participation in the workforce shrinks due to safety fears using roads without safe transit options.

Public Health Impacts

Road injury victims needing extended medical care place a substantial burden on India’s hospitals.
Road collisions where victims suffer spinal injuries or other permanent disability impacts families forever.
Mental health issues like PTSD after serious road crashes are often unidentified and untreated.

Environmental Impacts

More dangerous roads incentivize increased private vehicle ownership and usage, spurring air pollution and carbon emissions.
Road maintenance and reconstruction after crashes consumes materials and energy needlessly.

Check out this World Bank report for an in-depth analysis on the wide-ranging consequences of road accidents in India.

So it’s clear India’s road safety crisis has broad negative impacts across economics, public health, equity, mental health and environmental realms.

The human emotional distress for bereaved families meanwhile is beyond any calculations.

Bold and ambitious interventions are desperately needed to confront India’s road safety emergency head-on…which brings us to the new national road safety law.

India’s New Road Safety Law – A Potential Game Changer

In recent years India has taken initial steps towards improving road safety governance by establishing state lead agencies, improving crash data systems and more recently forming the National Road Safety Board (NRSB).

However the big leap forward has come through the new national Road Safety Act passed in August 2021 which aims to establish internationally recognized best practices in road safety management.

Key Features of India’s New Road Safety Act

This new Road Safety Act focuses on these core elements:

National Road Safety Board

An independent NRSB will offer guidance to the national and state governments on road safety functions.

Lead Agency Reforms

State governments must designate lead agencies for road safety administration. They will coordinate activity between transport, police, health and other departments.

Road Safety Funds

Dedicated state road safety funds will be created using fees and fines. Money will finance safety promotion projects.

Improved Road Design Practices

National standards will ensure safe road infrastructure suited to usage and protecting vulnerable users.

Vehicle Safety Enhancements

New motor vehicle standards for safety will be introduced meeting international regulations.
Regular vehicle fitness certification will be mandated for commercial transport vehicles.

Enhanced Enforcement

Increased legal powers for traffic police will bolster enforcement against offences like speeding, drunk driving etc.

Modern Transport Systems

Support will be given to implement bus rapid transit systems and well-designed infrastructure for walking and cycling.

Trauma Care Improvements

Expanding the network of advanced trauma centres will allow optimal care for road crash victims.

Road Safety Training & Awareness

Various stakeholder groups from drivers to engineers will receive focused road safety training.
Mass media public awareness campaigns on road safety will be introduced targeting behavioral change.

Overall the Act provides for institutional strengthening, funding provisions, improved road and vehicle safety standards, enhanced enforcement, advanced trauma services and extensive capacity building across every element connected to road safety.

It’s the most comprehensive national intervention yet that directly tackles India’s chronic road safety issues.

Early signs on the impacts are promising…

Early Successes Since the New Road Safety Act

Though still in the initial years of operationalizing this transformative Road Safety Act across all India’s states, some promising results are already apparent:

Tamil Nadu has achieved an 8.6% reduction in road fatalities due to improved traffic enforcement.
Rajasthan introduced mandatory helmet use legislation for two-wheeler riders leading to rising helmet compliance.
Haryana’s mass media campaigns led to a doubling of awareness levels regarding unsafe road behaviour.
Kerala is nearing its target of halving road deaths through coordinated interventions.

Learn more about the road safety achievements of states in the early phase of implementing the new Act.

These individual results demonstrate that concentrated road safety activity across enforcement, awareness building, institutional coordination and safe infrastructure provision can swiftly create positive impacts.

And this is just the beginning of changes likely to rapidly snowball as the transformative tenets of the new national Road Safety Act pervade all states in coming years.

Future Road Safety Scenarios for India

India in 2023 stands at a pivotal point regarding the future course of its road safety trajectory.

If the new Road Safety Act is meticulously implemented across all elements of strategy, activity and governance down to state levels, then a 50% reduction in road deaths in the next five years could be achievable.

This scale of rapid positive change has been accomplished in other Asian countries, for example:

Thailand combined public awareness campaigns, increased helmet usage legislation and emergency health system strengthening to great effect.
Vietnam introduced coordinated national level action plans encompassing safer roads, vehicles and road user behaviour which led to substantially fewer road deaths over 10 years.

However if the intentions of this promising new Road Safety Act get diluted or sidetracked at the implementation phase, then India may remain on its business-as-usual trajectory…which points alarmingly upwards towards over 200,000 preventable road deaths annually by 2030.

The decisions India takes today on road safety will determine which pathway materializes tomorrow.

Let’s delve deeper into both the optimistic and pessimistic outlooks for India’s road safety future.

Best Case Scenario – 50% Fewer Road Deaths by 2030

If the key strategies within India’s new road safety legislation receive sustained high-level political backing plus adequate financing and resourcing across every state for mass scale-up countrywide, then transformative change can occur.

Some elements of a potential 50% reduction in road deaths by 2030 could include:

Extensive upgrades to urban and rural road infrastructure making roads safer for all users.
100 more advanced trauma care centres established across India to maximize survival rates.
Compulsory 5-star safety ratings for all new cars and trucks reducing collision impacts.
Increased traffic police numbers plus stronger legal deterrents that help enforce good driving behaviour.
Large-scale public awareness campaigns influencing societal attitudes to road safety.

Visit the Towards Zero foundation site to explore global best practice road safety interventions applicable for rapid gains in India.

Through coordinated nationwide activity spanning safer roads, vehicles, road user behaviour and emergency trauma response – a 50% cut in road deaths amounting to saving 75,000 lives annually by 2030 seems an achievable milestone.

Worst Case Scenario – Road Deaths Exceed 200,000 Annually By 2030

However, history shows that much can go astray during major legislative implementations….

Without strong oversight, the lofty vision within India’s Road Safety Act could flounder.

Dangers include:

Inadequate senior leadership attention at state levels leading to underfunded safety programs.
Police numbers remaining too low for extensive traffic law enforcement everywhere.
Most new road projects continuing to lack sufficient audits and embedding of safe design principles.
No expanded national vehicle manufacturing standards introduced stipulating minimum safety feature requirements.
Very slow progress establishing additional advanced trauma care centres, where capacity remains overburdened.

If such scenarios prevail, India’s daily road death tally would worsen considerably.

Past trends indicate over 200,000 preventable fatalities could occur on Indian roads annually by 2030.

This growing human tragedy would risk becoming numbingly normalized…as endemic to India as slums, child labour or open defecation have been historically.

Such normalization of road deaths must not be passively accepted as inevitable!

The powers exist within India’s new Road Safety Act to avoid this harrowing status quo if key strategies get implemented at scale without delay.

The time to act is now before the death tally spirals further…

Call to Action – Implementing India’s Road Safety Act

The number of lives saved by India’s promising new Road Safety Act depends wholly on the strength of its nationwide execution.

After countless past experiments with limited pilot projects, disjointed interventions and grossly inadequate investment, the holistic blueprint has arrived through this Act for tangible road safety improvements everywhere.

But transformative national implementation remains the make or break challenge.

India Must Seize This Rare Window of Opportunity

All local and national road safety stakeholders from police departments to schools, vehicle manufacturers to hospitals have critical roles within the Act’s delivery.

But leadership from the very top remains vital – chief ministers of every state face the task of shepherding an inclusive, well-resourced vision for road safety where historically it has remained a low priority.

Visit the #StreetsForPeople site for ideas on how to advocate for leadership focus on implementing the Road Safety Act in your state.

With strong governance prioritizing road safety – matched by public demand and adequate financing – this rare window of opportunity can trigger exponential declines in road crashes across India within years.

The Island Hillsborough’s “Vision Zero” success story proves that doubling road usage while halving traffic fatalities can absolutely be achieved simultaneously over just 5-10 years through high level commitment to creating safe systems protecting all road users.

Now is the Time to Act

After 75 years since independence, India must surely guarantee its people one basic human right affordable across all states – freedom for all road users from fear of death and disability while accessing roads.

The Road Safety Act framework provides the clearest pathway yet to securing this basic right nationwide.

No more decades can India afford to lose through inaction on its road safety disaster.

Lives cannot be endlessly sacrificed through complacency about the sheer scale of the crisis.

India must seize this generational opportunity to implement its progressive new Road Safety Act vigorously across every state without delay!

Collectively over 150,000 citizens voices lost annually on Indian roads scream out for urgent action.

The moment for breakthrough change is here…it must not be allowed to pass by unfulfilled!