ROAD SAFETY IN INDIAROAD SAFETY IN INDIA

S.K. MISHRAS.K. MISHRADIRECTOR(ROAD TRANSPORT)DIRECTOR(ROAD TRANSPORT)

GOVERNMENT OF INDIAGOVERNMENT OF INDIA

ARE INDIAN ROADS ARE INDIAN ROADS DIFFERENT?DIFFERENT?

• Traffic conditions vary.• Heterogeneous traffic in India – ranging

from pedestrians to animal – drawn carts, non-motorized traffic, two-wheelers, cars, buses and trucks.

• Different traffic sharing the same road space while roads and vehicles get more modern.

GROWTH OF VEHICLE GROWTH OF VEHICLE POPULATIONPOPULATION

67.02003

55.02001

21.41991

1.91971

0.31951

No. of vehicles (in million)Year

COMPOSITION OF FLEETCOMPOSITION OF FLEET

70.9Motorcycles5.2Trucks1.1Buses

12.9Cars

Percentage share in 2003

Category

TREND OF ACCIDENTSTREND OF ACCIDENTS

1311023315312783443512285998406726200313230733621131738408711846744074972002

119592 (P)

3210811582440521680888405637200112460030216110508399265789113914492000

98427 (P)

28713103839375051819663864561999

injuredkilledAccidentsinjuredkilledAccidents

National HighwaysAll roadsYear

TREND OF ACCIDENTS IN TREND OF ACCIDENTS IN RELATION TO VEHICLESRELATION TO VEHICLES

12.8360.688599840672667033 (P)2003

14.3969.2384674407497589242002

14.773.7680888405637549912001

16.1580.1278911391449488572000

18.2786.1281966386456448751999

(in thousands)

Fatalities per 10000 vehicles

Accidents per 10000 vehicles

FatalitiesAccidentsNo. of vehicles Year

ROAD ACCIDENT DATA ROAD ACCIDENT DATA COLLECTIONCOLLECTION

• Existing system• UN-ESCAP sponsored APRAD/IRAD

project

CAUSES AND COST CAUSES AND COST OF ACCIDDENTSOF ACCIDDENTS

• Drivers’ fault – 77.91%• Pedestrian fault / fault of passengers - 1.36%• Mechanical defect in vehicles - 2.01%• Bad roads – 1.32%• Other factors like bad weather, cattle coming in

the way, fallen trees, road blockage, absence of rear reflectors, road signages, non-functioning of road signals, etc – 17.40%

• Cost of road accidents – 3% of GDP (estimated in the year 2000)

MEASURES TAKEN MEASURES TAKEN --ENGINEERINGENGINEERING

• Design stage • Role of Indian Road Congress• NHAI roads – Geometric and safety standards

including flyovers, grade separators, by-passes, Railway Over/Under bridges, bus/truck lay-byes, informatory retro-reflective sign boards, crash barriers, median railings, thermoplastic road markings, traffic lights and delineators.

• Bye-passes and service lanes• Road Safety Audit

ENFORCEMENT MEASURESENFORCEMENT MEASURES

• Testing the competence of drivers at the time of licensing

• Checking the physical fitness of vehicles and their compliance with regulations at the time of registration and periodical fitness check of commercial vehicles

• Statutory use of helmets, wearing of seat-belts, detection / prosecution of drunken driving and prevention of plying of overloaded vehicles.

EDUCATIONAL MEASURESEDUCATIONAL MEASURES

• Awareness campaigns through print and electronic media,

• Calendars, posters, hand bills/stickers and fund games for school children

• Observance of the Road Safety Week • Appreciated by a large number of persons

and organizations including Members of Parliament.

• Road safety part of curriculum in class VII under Central Board of Secondary Education.

VEHICLE SAFETYVEHICLE SAFETY

• Central Government has powers under Motor Vehicles Act.

• Both active and passive safety covered.• Already legislated - safety belts, laminated

safety glass for wind sheet, rear view mirrors, and power-steering for certain category of vehicles.

• A Road Safety Map under preparation.• Progressive harmonization with ECE.• Accession to 1998 Agreement of WP-29

IMPORTANT CENTRAL IMPORTANT CENTRAL SCHEMESSCHEMES

• Refresher training to drivers – 46,458 covered in 2005.

• Model Driving Training Schools – 10 already sanctioned.

• National Highways Accident Relief Service Scheme

ROAD SAFETY ORGANIZATIONROAD SAFETY ORGANIZATION

• National Road Safety Council.• Department of Road Transport &

Highways. • National Highways Authority of India.• Transport, Police, Health and Road

Agencies at the State level.• Committee of Experts to suggest a road

safety body at Central level.

THE WAY FORWARD THE WAY FORWARD

• A complete and comprehensive system and scientific approach to the issue involving all relevant agencies and stakeholders.

• Re-look at organizational issues.

WHAT CAN ESCAP DO?WHAT CAN ESCAP DO?• Universalisation of road signs and signage.• Promotion of time-tested safety devices such as

seat-belts and helmets.• Campaigns against drunken driving and for

promotion of safe driving practices. • Equipping and training police and other

agencies to collect, compile and analyze accident data, investigate accidents, enforce speed limits and detect drunkenness.

• Sharing the best-practices in road-safety among countries of the region.

• .

WHAT CAN ESCAP DO? WHAT CAN ESCAP DO? -- contd.contd.

• Networking of academic and research bodies• Designing simple and effective technical aids to

make driver licensing procedure safe and foolproof.

• Building and sharing motor vehicle and driver databases of countries in the region.

• Segregation of different streams of traffic on Asian Highways.

• Coverage of third-party insurance along AH

THANK YOUTHANK YOU