{"id":83750,"date":"2026-09-03T18:10:30","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T12:40:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=83750"},"modified":"2026-09-03T18:13:37","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T12:43:37","slug":"road-safety-in-india-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/03-09-2026\/road-safety-in-india-2","title":{"rendered":"Road Safety in India: From Stronger Laws to Safer Roads"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Governance<\/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>The fifth anniversary of the <strong>Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019<\/strong>, alongside the <strong><em>Road Accidents in India 2024<\/em><\/strong> report, has renewed focus on India\u2019s persistent road-safety crisis.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About Road Safety in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Road safety is a <strong>public policy, public health and governance challenge<\/strong> involving road users, vehicles, infrastructure, enforcement and post-crash care.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India\u2019s rapid urbanisation, motorisation and expansion of road networks have increased mobility but also exposed systemic weaknesses.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>According to the <strong>MoRTH\u2019s Road Accidents in India 2024<\/strong>, nearly <strong>1.77 lakh people lost their lives in road crashes in 2024<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It underscores the gap between legislative intent and outcomes on the ground.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The challenge is particularly significant because road crashes disproportionately affect <strong>pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and other vulnerable road users<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>Sundar Committee (2007) <\/strong>and subsequent reports underscored the need for institutional reforms, higher accountability, and a multi-pronged strategy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Provisions of the MVAA 2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019<\/strong>, effective from September 1, 2019, strengthened India\u2019s legal framework through:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Higher penalties for several traffic violations and stronger deterrence against dangerous driving.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Greater accountability of vehicle owners, drivers and other stakeholders.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Protection for <strong>Good Samaritans<\/strong> who assist crash victims.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Recognition of the critical <strong>\u2018golden hour\u2019<\/strong> following a road crash.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Strengthened vehicle safety and recall-related provisions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Greater use of technology and electronic enforcement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>However, implementation remains uneven. Helmet and seat-belt compliance, child restraint use, enforcement capacity, road engineering and emergency response vary considerably across States.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Achievements and Positive Impacts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Digitisation via<\/strong> <strong>Vahan and Sarathi platforms<\/strong> enhanced transparency in licensing and registration.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Provisions for Good Samaritans<\/strong> reduced bystander hesitation. Vehicle safety norms have tightened (mandatory airbags, ABS, seat-belt reminders in newer models).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>On National Highways, 2025 data indicated an nearly <strong>11% reduction in accidents and fatalities compared to 2024<\/strong> in some reports, attributed to better engineering, black-spot rectification, and enforcement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The long-term death rate per 10,000 vehicles has declined even as the vehicle population surged (from ~191 million in 2014 to over 350 million by 2024), indicating some relative safety gains amid rapid motorisation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Legislative Frameworks for Road Safety in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Motor Vehicles Act, 1988<\/strong>: It is principal legislation governing motor vehicles, licensing, registration and traffic regulation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019<\/strong>: It strengthened penalties, accountability, victim protection and enforcement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989<\/strong>: These prescribe operational and safety requirements for vehicles and drivers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>National Road Safety Policy, 2010<\/strong>: It provides a broad policy framework based on awareness, enforcement, engineering, emergency care and research.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Motor Vehicle Driving Regulation, 2017<\/strong> and subsequent safety regulations: These seek to improve driver behaviour and vehicle standards.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Road safety requires coordination under the <strong>4Es <\/strong>ie <strong>Education, Engineering, Enforcement and Emergency Care<\/strong>, increasingly supplemented by technology and data.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP): <\/strong>Star-rating system for vehicle crash safety (operational since ~2023).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What are the Concerns and Issues?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Implementation Deficit:<\/strong> Strong laws do not automatically translate into compliance. Enforcement differs across States and cities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Vulnerable road users:<\/strong> Pedestrians, cyclists, two-wheeler riders and children face disproportionate risks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Unsafe school transport:<\/strong> Lack of consistent adherence to safety norms, inadequate child restraints and risky pick-up\/drop-off practices threaten children.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Road engineering deficiencies:<\/strong> Accident-prone <strong>black spots<\/strong>, poor junction design, inadequate pedestrian infrastructure and weak road safety audits remain concerns.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Human factors:<\/strong> Speeding, drunk driving, distracted driving, non-use of helmets\/seat belts and fatigue continue to contribute to crashes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Post-crash Care:<\/strong> Delays in ambulance services, trauma care and coordinated emergency response can convert survivable injuries into fatalities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Data gaps:<\/strong> Fragmented crash data limits evidence-based identification of dangerous locations, behaviours and interventions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Global Benchmark<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The global shift is towards the <strong>\u2018Safe System Approach\u2019\/Vision Zero<\/strong>, which recognises that humans make mistakes and that road systems should prevent those mistakes from becoming fatal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Countries such as <strong>Sweden<\/strong> have demonstrated the value of combining safer road design, speed management, vehicle safety and institutional accountability.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021\u20132030<\/strong> seeks to reduce global road deaths and injuries by <strong>at least 50% by 2030<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India\u2019s approach therefore needs to move beyond blaming individual road users towards designing a <strong>forgiving road system<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Forward: Strengthening Road Safety Framework in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Adopt a Safe System approach:<\/strong> Integrate safer roads, vehicles, speeds and user behaviour.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Strengthen data-driven enforcement:<\/strong> Use AI-enabled cameras, e-challans, telematics and real-time crash databases to target high-risk behaviour.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Eliminate black spots:<\/strong> Conduct mandatory road safety audits and rapidly rectify hazardous stretches and junctions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Make school travel safer:<\/strong> Enforce school-bus standards, age-appropriate <strong>child restraint systems<\/strong>, safe boarding zones and regular vehicle\/driver checks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Improve emergency care:<\/strong> Build integrated ambulance networks, trauma-care capacity and rapid crash reporting to protect the golden hour.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Promote safer vehicles:<\/strong> Encourage advanced driver-assistance systems, pedestrian protection and stronger safety standards.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Build behavioural ownership:<\/strong> Parents, schools, employers, transport operators and communities must treat helmet, seat-belt and child-restraint use as everyday safety practices.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Strengthen institutional coordination:<\/strong> Road safety should be a shared responsibility across transport, police, health, urban development, education and infrastructure agencies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019<\/strong> provided India with a stronger legal foundation, but the persistence of nearly <strong>1.77 lakh road deaths in 2024<\/strong> shows that legislation alone is insufficient.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The next phase needs to convert legal provisions into <strong>safer infrastructure, consistent enforcement, safer vehicles, effective emergency care and responsible road behaviour<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For a Viksit Bharat, mobility needs not to merely be faster and more accessible, it needs to be <strong>safe, inclusive and life-preserving<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background has-fixed-layout\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Daily Mains Practice Question<\/strong><br><strong>[Q] <\/strong>Discuss the key gaps in the implementation of road-safety measures in India and suggest a <strong>Safe System-based approach<\/strong> to make Indian roads safer.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/opinion\/op-ed\/a-meaningful-shift-in-indias-approach-to-road-safety\/article71414447.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source: TH<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Published on:<\/strong> 03 September, 2026<\/p>\n<p>The fifth anniversary of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, alongside the Road Accidents in India 2024 report, has renewed focus on India\u2019s persistent road-safety crisis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":83752,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-83750","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial-analysis"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/09\/road-safety-in-india.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83750","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=83750"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83750\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83751,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83750\/revisions\/83751"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/83752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=83750"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=83750"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=83750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}