More Indians Die In Accidents Than In Wars: Highway Minister Nitin Gadkari
One of the biggest issues that Indian roads are plagued with is road accidents. Presently, India faces a severe road safety crisis where numerous people lose their lives daily. According to Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, the number of people losing their lives in accidents is more than that of people losing their lives in war, militancy, and naxalism. Yes, this is exactly what the MoRTH minister highlighted at a recent event.
The Stark Reality of Road Accidents in India
During his speech at the sixth edition of the FICCI Road Safety Awards and Conclave 2024, Gadkari revealed that India witnesses an overwhelming 5,00,000 road accidents annually. The result of all of these accidents is approximately 1,50,000 deaths. Additionally, these accidents leave 3,00,000 individuals injured every year.
These accidents have made Indian roads the place that causes the most number of deaths in the country. He highlighted that fatalities caused by accidents are greater than those caused by armed conflicts and insurgencies.
Nitin Gadkari also pointed out that this crisis leads to a 3% loss in the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually. This means that these accidents, along with the loss of lives, also have an impact on the economy of the country.
Gadkari also emphasized that road engineering is often at fault in these tragic incidents. “Like a sacrificial lamb, a driver is blamed for every accident. Let me tell you, and I observe minutely—often, the road engineering is at fault,” he stated.
Need for Safety Audits and Better Project Planning
Addressing the urgent need for improvements, Gadkari at the event also called for regular safety audits of all highways in the country. He highlighted the issue of “blackspots,” accident-prone areas that have increased due to substandard Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) in road construction.
Gadkari stressed that improving the quality of these DPRs is essential in reducing accidents and preventing delays in road projects. He added that to achieve this, there should be collaboration with the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) to enhance the quality of DPRs.
Delayed Target for Reducing Road Accidents
Last year, Gadkari discussed the Ministry’s long-term goals for road safety. Initially, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had set an ambitious target to reduce road accidents by 50% by the year 2024.
However, given the persistently high rate of accidents, this target was then revised to 2030. It was stated that despite various initiatives, such as identifying blackspots on highways and implementing safety features in vehicles, the desired reduction in accidents has not been achieved.
According to a ministry report, road accidents in India increased by 12% in the previous year. It was reported that an average of 53 accidents occurs every hour, with approximately 19 deaths. The report also indicated a surge of over 9% in fatalities compared to the previous year.
Poor Quality of Indian Engineers
Earlier this year, Minister Gadkari did not shy away from addressing the root cause of many road accidents. He stated that the declining quality of engineering graduates and inadequate project planning were significant factors.
Speaking at the CII National Conclave on “Road Safety – Indian Roads@2030 – Raising the Bar of Safety,” Gadkari pointed to the falling standards in the preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) as a major contributor to the road safety crisis.
“Road safety is a very serious concern in India… The quality of DPRs for road projects has fallen in the last few years, and while people want to blame drivers, I think road accidents happen because of engineers,” Gadkari stated.
He highlighted that the lack of solid planning and execution in road projects often leads to the creation of dangerous road conditions. He added that this, in turn, contributes to the high incidence of accidents.
It was also reported that in 2022, India reported 4,60,000 road accidents, resulting in 1,68,000 deaths and approximately 4,00,000 serious injuries. It was also highlighted that 60% of these fatalities occurred among young people aged 18 to 35 years.