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UPSC Issue at a Glance is a new initiative of UPSC Essentials to consolidate your prelims and mains exam preparation on an issue that has been in the news. Every Thursday, cover a new topic in Q&A format and don’t miss MCQs, Points to Ponder and key takeaways. Also, don’t forget to check the answers of MCQs towards the end of the article. Let’s get started!
The recent Mumbai BMW hit-and-run case and the Porsche crash in Pune serve as stark reminders of the alarming number of fatalities on Indian roads each year. Road accidents claim the lives of more than a lakh people annually and leave an even larger number injured. Pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and unprotected children are among the most vulnerable to road crashes. In this context, it becomes important to understand the issue of road safety from a broader perspective.
UPSC Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance, Polity and Governance, Economic and Social Development.
Mains Examination: GS-II, GS-III: Governance, polity, government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation, Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways, etc.
Other areas of relevance: UPSC Aspirants will find it useful in Essays, and Current affairs for their Personality tests.
What will you learn from this article? |
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Answer: In today’s world, roads and transport have become integral parts of everyday life for all people. Everyone is a road user in one way or another. While the current transport system has reduced distances, it has also increased the risk to life. Every year, road crashes lead to the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives and cause serious injuries to millions of people.
According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highway (MoRTH)-
In India, about eighty thousand people are killed in road crashes every year which is thirteen percent of the total fatality all over the world.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO)-
Road traffic crashes result in the deaths of approximately 1.19 million people around the world each year and leave between 20 and 50 million people with non-fatal injuries.
The statistics regarding road accidents leading to deaths and injuries represent the importance of road safety. Road safety encompasses measures to reduce the risk of road traffic injuries and fatalities.
Key Insights on Road Accidents in the NCRB Report
Some of the major points as per the National Crime Records Bureau’s Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India (ADSI) are:
— 1.55 lakh individuals died in accidents on India’s roads in 2021, up from the 1.33 lakh deaths in the pandemic lockdown year of 2020.
— Two-wheelers accounted for most deaths (44.5 percent). Buses accounted for 3 percent of deaths in accidents.
— Speeding caused 87,000 deaths, accounting for over half of all deaths
— Dangerous and careless driving was attributed as the cause of 42,000 deaths.
According to the WHO:
— More than half of all road traffic deaths and injuries involve vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists and their passengers.
— Developing economies record higher rates of road traffic injuries, with 92 percent of fatalities coming from low- and middle-income countries.
— In addition to the human suffering caused by road traffic injuries, they also incur a heavy economic burden on victims and their families, both through treatment costs for the injured and through loss of productivity of those killed or disabled.
| Do you know |
| According to the report titled ‘Road Accidents in India-2022’, 4,61,312 road accidents occurred in 2022, claiming the lives of 1,68,491 people and causing injuries to 4,43,366 people. The number of accidents has gone up by 11.9 per cent, casualties by 9.4 per cent and injuries by 15.3 per cent, the report reveals. As per the report, a majority of the accidents occurred on national highways (1,51,997). |
— More broadly, road traffic injuries seriously impact national economies, costing countries 3 percent of their annual gross domestic product. Thus, it becomes increasingly crucial to ensure road safety.
Points to Ponder:
— What is the significance of road safety in India?
— How do increasing numbers of road traffic injuries affect the national economies?
— What are the impacts of road accidents in India?
— Explain how road accidents are similar to a pandemic and require greater attention.
(Thought Process: Road traffic injuries fulfill the epidemiological triad of agent, host, and environment. Like any other disease, it has risk factors, variations, and grades of severity. It also has a predictable pattern and prognosis. Elaborate. Refer- Road accidents: A pandemic that needs greater attention )
(Source: Case Study of the week— Road Safety: ‘Better Late than Never, About Road Safety, Road traffic injuries, India sees 11.9% jump in road accidents in 2022; Tamil Nadu tops the list of NH mishaps, Road Accidents in India Report 2022, who.int, ncrb.gov.in)
Answer: Road accidents are the most unwanted events for road users, even though they occur frequently. Road accidents and fatalities are the result of an interplay of various factors. Here are some factors/causes that result in road accidents and fatalities in India:
1. Lack of road safety awareness: Most road accident cases occur due to carelessness or lack of awareness, making road safety education essential for survival.
2. Non-compliance with traffic rules and regulations
(i) Violation of road signs and safety rules: Violation of any traffic rule constitutes human error or driver’s fault.
(ii) Over-speeding: According to the Road Accidents in India Report 2022 —
“In 2022, overspeeding accounted for 72.3 percent of the total road accidents, 71.2 percent of total deaths, and 72.8 percent of total injuries.”
(iii) Lane Indiscipline: According to the Road Accidents in India report 2022- Driving on the wrong side was the second highest cause of total road accidents in 2022, accounting for 4.9 per cent of all accidents.
(iv) Non-use of safety devices: Avoiding Safety Gears like seat belts and helmets. More than 80% of road accident deaths are due to head injuries
(v) Drunken driving: According to Road Accidents in India Report 2022- Drunken driving/consumption of alcohol & drugs, jumping of red light and use of mobile phones taken together accounted for 7.4 percent of total accidents and 8.3 percent of total deaths.
(vi) Driving without licences: Easy access to driving licenses without a thorough assessment of skills and driving without them is a major contributing factor to the increase in road accidents.
3. Road infrastructure: The poor condition of roads along with low visibility and subpar road design and engineering, including the quality of materials and construction, are contributing factors to the increasing number of road accidents and fatalities. This includes issues such as single-lane roads with sharp curves.
— As per Road Accidents in India Report 2022-
67.0 percent of accidents occurred on straight roads, whereas accidents on curved roads, pothole roads and steep grade together accounted for 13.8 per cent of the total road accidents.
4. Vehicular condition: Old vehicles are more likely to experience frequent breakdowns, malfunctions, and lack safety features. As per Road Accidents in India Report 2022–
In 2022, a total of 1,38,171 road accidents happened involving vehicles less than 5 years and the highest number of death i.e. 50,762 reported involving vehicles less than 5 years.
5. Overloading of vehicles: Overloaded vehicles pose a hazard to road traffic, increasing the risk of accidents for both themselves and other road users. As per Road Accidents in India Report 2022–
Overloaded vehicles accounted for a share of 6.1 percent of total accidents, 7.2 percent of total killed and 6.5 percent of the injured in 2022.
6. Inadequate Law Enforcement: Although laws and regulations for ensuring road safety are in place but enforcement is often lacking, allowing offenders to escape accountability for their actions.
Points to Ponder:
— How blaming irrationality for road fatalities is a dead end from a policy perspective?
(Source: Road Accidents in India Report 2022, 7 takeaways from GoI’s report on road accidents)
Answer: According to the Road Accidents in India, 2022 Report- “ Road accidents are one of the leading causes of death globally and mainly occur in the age group of 15 to 49 years. During the calendar year 2022, road crashes in India claimed about 1.68 lakh lives and caused injuries to more than 4.4 lakh people.” In this context, globally various initiatives have been taken to ensure road safety.
1. Brasilia Declaration on Road Safety, 2015: The declaration was signed at the second Global High-Level Conference on Road Safety, which was held in Brazil. Under the declaration, the countries plan to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.6, which is to halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents by 2030.
— India is a signatory to the declaration and is committed to a reduction in fatalities.
2. Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030: The UN General Assembly adopted resolution “Improving global road safety” with the ambitious target of preventing at least 50% of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.
— The Global Plan aligns with the Stockholm Declaration, by emphasizing the importance of a holistic approach to road safety.
3. Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) 2020-2025: It aims to reduce road crash fatalities and injuries in low and middle-income countries and cities by implementing a comprehensive set of actions that are proven to save lives.
Points to Ponder:
— What are the limitations of global road safety initiatives?
— What is India’s role in global road safety initiatives?
(Source: Case Study of the week— Road Safety: ‘Better Late than Never, who.int)
Answer: Road transportation is the most cost-effective mode of transportation in India for both passengers and freight. But India faces significant challenges due to high exposure to adverse traffic conditions caused by rapid motorization and urbanization driven by strong economic growth. Consequently, road accidents, traffic injuries, and fatalities have remained at high levels.
In this context, various awareness, road engineering, vehicle engineering, enforcement, and emergency care measures have been taken by the government to reduce road accidents and ensure road safety by incorporating the active participation of all stakeholders across the country.
1. Motor Vehicle Amendment (MVA) Act 2019: The Motor Vehicles Act of 1988 is the principal instrument through which road transport is regulated in our country. In 2019 the act was amended comprehensively and amendments became effective on 1st September 2019. It includes inter-alia, provisions like stiff hikes in penalties for traffic violations, electronic monitoring of the same, enhanced penalties for juvenile driving, etc.
— It provides for the constitution of the National Road Safety Board to advise the Central Government or State Government, as the case may be, on all aspects pertaining to road safety and traffic management.
2. Vehicle Scrapping Policy: MoRTH has formulated the Vehicle Scrapping Policy based on incentives/dis-incentives and for creating an ecosystem to phase out older, unfit polluting vehicles.
3. National Road Safety Policy: The Government constituted a Committee under the Chairmanship of Shri S. Sundar to finalise a draft National Road Safety Policy. Based on the recommendations of the Sunder Committee, the Union Cabinet approved the National Road Safety Policy. The National Road Safety Policy outlines the policy initiatives to be framed/taken by the Government at all levels to improve road safety activities in the country.
4. Public Awareness Programmes: To create effective public awareness about road safety, the MoRTH undertakes various awareness campaigns through electronic media, print media, and social media. It includes observance of ‘National Road Safety Month/Week’ every year to spread awareness and strengthen road safety.
5. Road Safety Audit (RSA): RSAs for all National Highways (NHs) have been made mandatory through third-party auditors at all stages, including design, construction, operation, and maintenance.
6. Electronic Detailed Accident Report (e-DAR): e-DAR project has been initiated to establish a central repository for reporting, management, and analysis of road accident data across the nation.
7. Mandatory Fitments of safety technologies in the vehicle: MoRTH has notified the mandatory fitment of following listed safety technologies from 01st July 2019.
— Seat Belt Reminder (SBR) for driver and co-driver.
— Manual Override for central locking system
— Over-speed warning system
— Reverse Parking Alert System
8. Good Samaritan Law: MoRTH has published rules for the protection of Good Samaritan.
| Who is the Good Samaritan? |
| According to MoRTH,
A Good Samaritan is a person who, in good faith, without expectation of payment or reward and without any duty of care or special relationship, voluntarily comes forward to administer immediate assistance or emergency care to a person injured in an accident, or crash, or emergency medical condition, or emergency situation. Good Samaritan Law protects Good Samaritans from harassment on the actions being taken by them to save the life of the road accident victims. |
9. India State Support Programme for Road Safety by World Bank: The World Bank has approved a USD 250 million loan for seven States under which a single accident reporting number will be set up to better manage post-crash events.
Points to Ponder:
— What India can learn from the rest of the world to ensure road safety?
— What is Bharat NCAP?
— Why the need for Good Samaritan law?
— What were the Sundar Committee Recommendations?
— What are the impacts of road accidents in India?
(Source: Case Study of the week— Road Safety: ‘Better Late than Never, Road Accidents in India Report 2022, Good Samaritan)
Answer: Road accidents and fatalities are the result of a combination of multiple factors, thus a variety of measures are necessary to reduce the number of accidents and fatalities. Here are some measures that should be taken to ensure road safety:
1. Raise Awareness about Road Safety Issues: There is a need to invest more efforts in promoting awareness about road safety, the implications of road accidents, and what needs to be done to reduce the increasing number of road accidents. This will empower different stakeholders to play a meaningful role in promoting road safety.
2. Strict Enforcement of Law: Investing solely in road safety awareness campaigns or education is insufficient for behavioural change. Enforcement of road safety laws is necessary and imperative.
S C Nagpal writes- “Regular, professional enforcement of rules and swift and innovative solutions to traffic indiscipline and bottlenecks by the administration could help evolve a healthy safe-road culture.”
— Additionally, it is crucial to establish a proper driving licensing system to ensure standardised driving skills.
The Lancet Series on road safety suggests important points which should be considered as points of the solution for ensuring road safety. It calls for increased political and financial commitments, and for road safety to be included in mainstream development policies. This study also argues that this is essential to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including the target to halve road traffic crash fatalities and injuries by 2030.
3. Engineering of Vehicles and Road Infrastructure along with emergency care can play an important role in road safety. The curved road, potholes and ongoing road works under construction, etc., need to be the focus of attention for the engineers maintaining these roads with the installation of safety signages at appropriate spots.
Points to Ponder:
— What were the recommendations of the KS Radhakrishnan panel on Road Safety?
— What are the key highlights of the National Road Safety Policy?
(Source: Case Study of the week— Road Safety: ‘Better Late than Never’, Rishabh Pant’s accident: For great road safety, India needs a change in mindset )
Post Read Question:
Prelims
(1) Consider the following statements with regard to the Road Accidents in India report 2022:
1. Driving on the wrong side was the second-highest cause of total road accidents in 2022.
2. Overspeeding was the biggest cause of total road accidents in 2022.
3. Most accidents occurred on straight roads
How many of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
(2) Consider the following statements Brasilia declaration:
1. It was signed at the first Global High-Level Conference on Road Safety.
2. India is not a signatory to the declaration.
3. Under the declaration, the countries plan to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 1.
How many of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
(3) Consider the following statements:
1. The Electronic Detailed Accident Report project has been initiated to establish a central repository for reporting, management, and analysis of road accident data across the nation.
2. The Committee under the Chairmanship of Shri S. Sundar finalised a draft on National Road Safety Policy.
3. Motor Vehicle Amendment (MVA) Act 2019 provides for the constitution of the National Road Safety Board.
How many of the statements given above is/are not correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
(4) Which of the following committees is related to road safety?
(a) Pannir Selvam committee
(b) T.S.R.Subramanium committee
(c) Mukherjee committee
(d) Sundar committee
Mains
1. Examine the complex challenges associated with increasing road accidents in India and suggest strategies to address the issue of road accidents.
2. “During the calendar year 2022, road crashes in India claimed about 1.68 lakh lives and caused injuries to more than 4.4 lakh people.” In light of this statement, explain the challenges to road safety in India.
| Prelims Answer Key |
| 1. (c) All three
2. (d) None 3. (d) None 4. (d) Sundar committee |
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