10 years, more than 15 lakhs Deaths: The Alarming Road Safety Crisis in India
10 years, more than 15 lakhs Deaths: The Alarming Road Safety Crisis in India ( Representational image )
Every hour and every minute, the roads of India reveal a sorrowful story of tragedy and loss. In the last ten years (2014-2023), approximately 1.53 million people have died in road accidents in India, which is more than the population of Chandigarh and nearly equal to that of Bhubaneswar. This tragic toll has occurred despite the central government’s repeated promises to lower road fatalities and the Supreme Court’s efforts to address the issue. According to the Union Ministry of Road Transport, the road death rate in India is about 250 per 10,000 kilometers, while the rates in the US, China, and Australia are much lower at 57, 119, and 11, respectively.
In the previous decade (2004-2013), around 1.21 million lives were lost in road accidents, according to data from the Road Transport Ministry. Although the rise in fatalities over the past ten years can be attributed to significant increases in population, road infrastructure, and the number of vehicles, experts argue that not enough has been done to prevent this enormous loss of life. Government statistics indicate that the number of registered vehicles has more than doubled from 159 million in 2012 to about 383 million in 2024, while the total road length increased from 4.86 million kilometers in 2012 to 6.33 million kilometers in 2019.
Experts have pointed out that the increase in road length and the number of vehicles cannot solely explain the rising number of fatalities each year. They emphasize that road safety is a complex issue that requires collaboration across various sectors, including government departments, stakeholders, and non-profit organizations. Despite this understanding being well-known and frequently mentioned, there has been little progress in fostering this cooperation. Agencies continue to operate in isolation, which hinders effective solutions to the road safety crisis.
Former top police officials have highlighted a significant disparity in how fatal road crashes are treated compared to other serious crimes, such as murder. They pointed out that while officers are often called to account for a single unresolved murder, similar scrutiny is rarely applied in cases of road fatalities. A former Delhi Police officer noted that senior officials seldom seek explanations from their subordinates, even when there are multiple road deaths, nor do they follow up on the outcomes of investigations. This indicates that road crashes are not prioritized by law enforcement agencies.
T Krishna Prasad, who has a background as an IPS officer and currently serves as the chairman of the Road Safety Authority in Telangana, pointed out that while murders receive significant attention, fatal road crashes and the resulting deaths are often overlooked. He emphasized that the number of fatalities from road accidents each year far exceeds the number of casualties caused by any natural disaster that India has experienced.
Prasad plans to introduce a private member bill focused on road safety, highlighting the urgent need for legislative action to address this critical issue. His remarks underline the stark reality that road safety is a pressing concern that requires more attention and resources from both lawmakers and enforcement agencies.
