{"id":43378,"date":"2025-05-15T18:43:12","date_gmt":"2025-05-15T13:13:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=43378"},"modified":"2025-05-16T12:22:05","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T06:52:05","slug":"road-to-safety-navigating-india-mobility-transformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/15-05-2025\/road-to-safety-navigating-india-mobility-transformation","title":{"rendered":"Road to Safety: Navigating India\u2019s Mobility Transformation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Infrastructure<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India is at a crucial juncture in mobility transformation, where economic growth and urbanisation bring both opportunities and challenges to road safety.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About the Road Network in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India has the <strong>second largest road network<\/strong> and its National Highways span a total length of 146,195 km, forming the <strong>primary arterial network<\/strong> of the country.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>National Highway Network:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It has grown by 60%, rising from 91,287 km in 2014 to 146,195 km currently.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Length of <strong>National High-Speed Corridors (HSC)<\/strong> has increased from 93 km in 2014 to 2,474 km at present.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Length of<strong> 4-lane and above National Highways <em>(exclud<\/em>ing HSCs)<\/strong><em> <\/em>has more than doubled, expanding from 18,278 km in 2014 to 45,947 km at present.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Need For Road Safety in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Death Toll:<\/strong> India recorded <strong>1.68 lakh road accident deaths,<\/strong> translating to approximately<strong> 12.2 fatalities per 1 lakh population<\/strong> in 2022 alone.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Road traffic death rates of <strong>Japan and the UK<\/strong> 2.57 and 2.61 <strong>fatalities per 1 lakh population, <\/strong>respectively.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/26-03-2025\/india-losing-3-percent-gdp-annually-due-to-road-accidents\"><strong>Loss of Economy:<\/strong><\/a> The estimated <strong>3% loss of India\u2019s GDP<\/strong> due to accidents reflects the strain on healthcare systems, insurance sectors, and national productivity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>For Safe Urban Mobility:<\/strong> Nearly 50% of the population will reside in cities, accompanied by a significant surge in vehicle ownership, by 2047.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>As mobility expands, so do the risks for vulnerable road users\u2014pedestrians, cyclists, the elderly, and public transport commuters.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>People-centric interventions must be prioritized to ensure that streets remain safe and accessible for all, to accommodate this rapid urbanization.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Efforts For Road Safety in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Road Safety as a Fundamental Right<\/strong>: The right to safe road travel is an essential component of the<strong> right to life under Article 21<\/strong> of the Indian Constitution.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Safe System Approach:<\/strong> It acknowledges that <strong>humans are bound to make mistakes <\/strong>\u2014 but those mistakes should not result in fatalities or serious injuries.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It prioritizes pedestrian safety and acknowledges human error in road design.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP):<\/strong> It provides safety ratings for passenger cars, empowering consumers to make informed decisions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Vehicle Scrapping Policy:<\/strong> The government has implemented a vehicle scrapping policy, with 44 Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities operational across 15 states, to remove unsafe vehicles from roads.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Electronic Enforcement Mechanisms:<\/strong> Speed cameras, CCTV surveillance, and automated traffic enforcement systems have been deployed to improve compliance with road safety regulations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Emergency Care Initiatives:<\/strong> The <strong>Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019<\/strong> introduced a cashless treatment scheme for accident victims during the golden hour, ensuring timely medical intervention.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Targeted Interventions of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH):<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Rectification of over 5,000 black spots on highways<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mandatory road safety audits to assess risk areas<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stricter vehicle safety norms, including airbags and anti-lock braking systems<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Electronic enforcement mechanisms such as speed cameras and CCTV surveillance to improve compliance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>District-wide driving training and vehicle fitness centers to reduce accidents caused by unskilled driving<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Global Efforts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Brasilia Declaration (2015): <\/strong>It defined the urgent measures needed to achieve the <strong>2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development<\/strong>\u2019s ambitious target <strong>(Target 3.6) <\/strong>to halve road traffic deaths by the end of this decade.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021\u20132030): <\/strong>It aims <strong>to halve deaths<\/strong> related to road accidents by 2030.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It aligns with the <strong>Stockholm Declaration (2020)<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>World Bank Report (2020):<\/strong> It estimates that an additional $109 billion are required over the next decade to achieve a 50% reduction in road crash fatalities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Committees &amp; Policy Frameworks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Sundar Committee on Road Safety and Traffic Management (2005):<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It recommended the creation of a <strong>National Road Safety Policy<\/strong>, approved by the Union Cabinet in 2010.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It also proposed the establishment of a <strong>National Road Safety Board<\/strong> to oversee safety regulations and enforcement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>National Road Safety Council (NRSC):<\/strong> As an <strong>advisory body under MoRTH<\/strong>, to provide recommendations on policy measures, enforcement strategies, and infrastructure improvements.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Working Group on Road Safety Education:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It focuses on driver training, public awareness campaigns, and school-level road safety education.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It advocates for stronger enforcement of traffic laws and integration of road safety into school curricula.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Supreme Court\u2019s Committee on Road Safety:<\/strong><strong>District Road Safety Committees<\/strong> for each district in the State, in accordance with The <strong>Motor Vehicle Act, 1988.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It also focuses on <strong>4Es <\/strong>viz <strong>Engineering, Education, Enforcement &amp; Emergency.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Recommendations for Road Safety Improvement<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mandatory Road Safety Audits for highways and urban roads.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stricter vehicle safety norms, including airbags and anti-lock braking systems.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Electronic enforcement mechanisms such as speed cameras and CCTV surveillance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dedicated highway police for better traffic management and accident response.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>National Road Safety Fund to finance safety initiatives and infrastructure upgrades.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Daily Mains Practice Question<\/strong><br><strong>[Q]<\/strong> How can the Safe System Approach be effectively implemented in India&#8217;s road safety policies to ensure both pedestrian safety and urban mobility? What challenges might arise, and how can they be addressed?<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/opinion\/op-ed\/the-road-to-safety\/article69575788.ece\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Source: TH<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/UPSC-Editorial-Analysis-15-May-2025.PDF.pdf\">Download PDF<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India is at a crucial juncture in mobility transformation, where economic growth and urbanisation bring both opportunities and challenges to road safety.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43378","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorial-analysis"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43378"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43378\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43440,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43378\/revisions\/43440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}