Sir,

Tackling road fatalities requires a multi-pronged, mission-oriented strategy. The latest road statistics reveal a deeply concerning trend, with 1.68 lakh people losing their lives on Indian roads in 2022, marking an 11.9 percent increase compared to the previous year.

Even more disturbing is the fact that 67 percent of these fatalities involve individuals in the age group of 18-45 years, causing immense trauma for families and resulting in significant economic losses for the nation.

India takes pride in possessing world’s second-largest road network, second only to USA. Since 1950, when India had 20,000 kms of National Highways and a mere 3 lakh vehicles, there has been a phenomenal growth in both infrastructure and the vehicle population. Presently, India boasts a network of over 63,31,791 kms and a vehicle population of 326.26 million.

Two-wheelers constitute 75 percent of the total vehicle population and they are involved in 45% of all fatalities. Vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and two-wheeler riders, are at highest risk of accidents. Several causes contribute to these accidents, often attributed to human errors, including over-speeding, driving under influence of alcohol, reckless overtaking, failure to adhere to lane discipline and ignoring traffic signals, among others.

The Government, too, bears responsibility for the persistently high fatality rates. Issues range from design flaws in road infrastructure, inadequate signalling and control, non-standard road curvatures, poor lighting, insufficient signage, inadequate traffic control and subpar maintenance, leading to pothole-related fatalities.

According to the Ministry of Transport’s report, potholes were responsible for 5,000 fatalities in 2022. The Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway, which has seen numerous accidents since its opening in January, tragically claimed the lives of 121 people.

In an effort to combat pollution, the Indian Government is encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). However, EVs pose a unique challenge due to their high acceleration capabilities, which can contribute to over-speeding.

In metropolitan areas like Bengaluru, buses are driven at such high speeds that some passengers have noticed conductors struggling to issue tickets in a timely manner. The Ministry of Transport has set a target to reduce road fatalities by 50 percent by 2024.

Unfortunately, historical data indicates that these targets have rarely been achieved.

In light of this, achieving the goal of reducing road fatalities demands a mission-mode approach at various levels. It necessitates close coordination and collaboration between the Central Government and States to address this complex and pressing issue effectively.

– H.R. Bapu Satyanarayana, Saraswathipuram, 7.11.2023

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