It’s time to stop labelling the thousands of deadly incidents that happen on India’s roads as “accidents.” Across India, the National Crime Records Bureau reported over four lakh road “accident” cases in 2021, with 1.6 lakh fatalities — up by four per cent from 2017. Despite the fact that each of these casualties leaves a human tragedy in its wake, society remains numb and unresponsive. The fact that road deaths are routinely labelled “accidents” contributes to public inaction against this preventable killer. It carries with it the connotation that they are unavoidable and an accepted cost of travel, wherein “accidents just happen”. But they do not “just happen”.
Fortunately, in December and September of 2022, the Maharashtra Highway Police and the Delhi Traffic Police both proved that change is possible and broke away from this practice. In its report, the Delhi Traffic Police noted that an “accident” is “an event that happens by chance or that is without apparent or deliberate cause,” and as such, they will retire the word going forward when discussing road crashes.
This change reflects a commitment to treat crashes not as inevitable but as preventable — thanks to evidence-based public health interventions, such as road redesign with all users in mind.
Evidence from places with sterling road safety records shows that road deaths can be prevented by strong government action. This includes a comprehensive approach to road safety, including prioritising accessibility over mobility, and walking, cycling, and smart urban planning (such as public transport, crosswalks, and bike lanes) over high-speed driving and car dependency. In other words, low-cost, low-tech interventions can be adopted in every city and state, as long as there’s political will.
By framing road crashes as “accidents,” people perceive crashes with less urgency and support for crucial interventions that can prevent crashes. Rightly using the term “crash”, is a commendable step by the Delhi Traffic Police, and it is hoped that others — spanning government agencies, media outlets, and the general public — will similarly follow suit.
In fact, this shift has happened before. We hear of “car accidents,” but when was the last time one heard of a “plane accident”? The term “plane accident” in the aviation industry is a misnomer but it wasn’t always so. The term was discarded in the first half of the 20th century as governments pressured the industry to improve safety. Investigators now work to determine the root causes of any aircraft crash, or even a near miss, and put in place more stringent safeguards to ensure that future events are prevented. Preventative actions such as safe infrastructure, professional management by highly trained and skilled staff, maintenance of all equipment, and strictly followed standard operating procedures all contribute toward making air travel the world’s safest form of transport per kilometre.
We need to adopt a similar approach to road travel. For example, thoughtful urban planning and safe road designs that encourage low speeds can reduce crashes. Communities that are walkable and bikeable, and less car-dependent have fewer deaths on the road. These are low-cost and straightforward interventions, and they can save lives today.
Every road crash is preventable. Evidence-based interventions can radically decrease crash fatalities, and the language used to describe crashes is critical in building public demand and political will for these changes.
Lakhtakia is a retired Indian Police Service officer and currently Senior Road Safety Advisor-India, Vital Strategies. Ennis is Regional Deputy Director-Asia, Vital Strategies
