Initiatives By Government For better Road Safety.

Posted by Akhilesh Srivastava on October 6th, 2022

India is dedicated to reducing the number of people killed in auto accidents. This calls for a multifaceted strategy that includes enhancing road infrastructure, raising public awareness, stepping up enforcement, and streamlining the trauma care aid programme.

The Ministry's concerted efforts to reduce the frequency of traffic accidents have begun to bear fruit. Road accidents decreased by 4.1% in 2016 in India, according to the report Road Accidents in India-2016. The data from the first three quarters show that this trend is still present. Compared to the numbers for the same time in 2016, there were 5.2% fewer accidents up until September 2017. During this time, there has been a 4.4% drop in fatalities. Between 2-10% fewer people have died in traffic accidents over this time, with the exception of the States of Assam, Bihar, Orissa, and Uttar Pradesh.

The following are some of the steps taken by the Government to reduce road fatalities:

1.New Accident Reporting Format:

A trustworthy database is necessary for an effective road safety action plan. Therefore, based on the suggestions of an expert group made up of experts from the IITs of Delhi and Kharagpur, the WHO, senior officers from the states' departments of police and transportation, and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, the present reporting format was amended. All States have implemented the new accident reporting format, which will aid in concentrating on the major risk areas to increase road safety in the upcoming years.

2. Rectification of Black Spots :

138 of the 789 road accident black spots that the Ministry has so far identified are on state routes. 189 mistakes have already been fixed, and sanctions have been given so far for the correction of 256 mistakes that are still in various phases of bidding or advancement. Under the road safety annual plan for 2017–18, two (2) road safety enhancement projects worth a total of Rs 30 crore have also been approved, and they are currently in the bidding or construction stages. Along with conducting standalone road safety audits on National Highways, road safety audits have also been started as part of all EPC/BOT projects.

3. Training of Drivers :

The Ministry has been collaborating with States, automakers, and NGOs to improve driving instruction. A few states have developed Institutes of Driving Training and Research (IDTRs), which serve as role models for Driving Training Centers and offer cutting-edge facilities. The Ministry has also started a plan to establish driving training facilities in all of the nation's districts in due time. It also supports programmes for heavy commercial vehicle drivers to receive refresher training.

4. Model Automated Centres for checking fitness of vehicles :

20 Inspection and Certification Centers have been authorised by the Ministry to conduct automated tests to determine if commercial vehicles are fit for use. Six centres are already up and running. These facilities will offer an impartial assessment of the big commercial vehicles' roadworthiness. Given the positive results, it is now being suggested that this programme be made available to all 50 states within the upcoming year.

5. New steps for safety of vehicles :

Two Wheelers: Two Wheelers are heavily involved in accidents and the deaths that result from them. Vehicle skidding is a typical cause. With effect from April 1, 2019, all two-wheelers must be equipped with an anti-lock braking system (ABS) in order to protect the priceless lives of two-wheeler users. Two-wheeler on-Road Safety is anticipated to improve dramatically as a result of this. A daytime running system has also been made a requirement for all two-wheelers in order to increase their visibility. All new two-wheelers come with a helmet as a required accessory at the time of sale. This has improved two-wheeler riders' adherence to the helmet law.

Motor Cars: Automobiles - To increase their stability and safety, all passenger cars must be equipped with ABS. One of the year's highlights is the need that automakers include more safety measures to vehicles starting in production in July 2019. These include required airbags, reverse sensors, seat belt audio alerts, and speed warning audio alert.

Heavy Vehicles: ABS must now be installed on all heavy vehicles by law. The implementation of the bus body code would help to increase passenger safety and ensure a minimum degree of comfort. The truck body code has also been notified.

To discuss and develop methods for lowering traffic deaths and to recommend doable actions for implementation, the Ministry assembled a group of ministers from several states. On August 9, 2016, MoRTH introduced the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill 2016 in Lok Sabha based on recommendations from the GoM. The Bill addresses issues related to road safety by calling for harsher fines, allowing electronic enforcement, enhancing the fitness certification and licencing system, statutory provisions for good Samaritan protection, and acknowledging IT-enabled enforcement mechanisms. The Bill also lays the path for public transportation changes, which will help to increase road safety. The Bill includes measures for treating accident victims during the crucial first several hours after an accident, which will help save priceless lives. The Bill also seeks to usher in a period of transportation changes in the nation and streamline procedures for citizens dealing with transportation ministries. The Bill has been approved by the Lok Sabha and sent to the Rajya Sabha Select Committee.

Conclusion: Rules for Road Safety and awareness go hand in hand. Road accidents will immediately decrease if people are aware of how precious life is. As a citizen of a given nation, adhering to the traffic safety regulations would also help to lower the likelihood of traffic accidents.

Road Safety regulations are another aspect of manners that can be applied to everyday life. Time management is useful if we are running behind schedule. Road Safety rules are necessary for all of us. In a nutshell, adhering to severe traffic laws is a discipline that can save your life.

An estimated 1.35 million people die on the world's roads each year, and an additional 50 million suffer major injuries, according to Akhilesh Srivastava, a former general manager of NHAI and the current project head for road safety at the World Economic Forum. With 11% of all traffic deaths worldwide, India is ranked worst in the world; a person dies on the road every four minutes. According to Akhilesh Srivastava, road accidents have traditionally been one of the top objectives in transportation research since they have a significant financial impact on economies and create significant social distress.

However, one specific factor that makes the research on road safety an even higher priority at this moment is the fact that both the idea and the technology of transportation are changing quickly. Speaking for Technology Driven Road Safety, Akhilesh Srivastava discussed new prospects as well as difficulties for those working in the field of road safety. As a result, it is anticipated that the field of this research would experience tremendous change in the years to come.

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