Road safety

Estimates suggest that India lost approximately 300 000 lives due to road crashes in  the year 2016. Upto 50 times this number suffered injuries, with some of them developing disabilities. A majority of those dying on the roads are pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. According to government data, young people are more vulnerable, especially those who are the sole bread-earners for their family. The economic loss from road traffic injuries is expected to be approximately 3% of the country’s gross domestic product.

Many road crashes are a result of faulty road design and engineering. Non-adherence to legislation is a major reason for road crashes. While over speeding remains the most common reason for road fatalities, other contributing factors include driving under the influence of alcohol, driving on the wrong side of the road, jumping red lights, using mobile phones while driving, not wearing a securely strapped quality helmet, skipping wearing the seat belt and fatigue. There is an urgent need for multisectoral response to address this growing challenge.

A road traffic injury is a fatal or non-fatal injury incurred as a result of a collision involving at least one moving vehicle. Globally, there were 1.25 million road traffic deaths in 2013. As against popular perception and usage in common parlance, a road traffic injury is not an accident. Oxford dictionary defines the term accident as “an event that happens by chance or that is without apparent or deliberate cause.” There are known risk factors leading to road traffic injuries. Most road traffic injuries and fatalities are largely preventable.

India accounts for about 10% of road crash fatalities worldwide. Estimated road traffic death rate per 100 000 population in India has increased from 16.8 in 2009 to 18.9 in 2013. Over the last decade, the incidence of accidental deaths has witnessed an increasing trend with an increase of 44.2% for the year 2011 as compared to 2001. This figure translates into one death every five minutes on Indian roads and this is expected to escalate to one death every three minutes by 2020.

A multipronged approach is needed to strengthen automobile safety standards, improve road infrastructure, generate awareness, strengthen enforcements and streamline trauma care assistance.