 "Nitin Gadkari targets 50% reduction in road accident deaths by 2030")
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), Nitin Gadkari, stated that the ministry intended to cut road accident deaths by 50 per cent by 2030. Addressing the CII National Conclave on "Road Safety - Indian Roads@2030 - Raising the Bar of Safety," Gadkari highlighted the significance of changing social behaviour and strengthening the "4Es of Road Safety".
The "4Es" include engineering (road & vehicle engineering), enforcement, education, and emergency medical service. He added that in order to reach this goal, there needs to be cooperation among all stakeholders to enhance road safety.
The latest road accident reports revealed that 2022 witnessed 460,000 road accidents, 168,000 deaths, and around 400,000 serious injuries. Moreover, there are 53 road accidents every hour and 19 deaths in India. This reflected the urgent need for comprehensive safety measures to be taken up by all concerned authorities.
Gadkari also added that there had been a 12 per cent increase in road accidents and a 10 per cent rise in road accident deaths, resulting in a socio-economic loss of 3.14 per cent to gross domestic product (GDP). Road accident reports also found that an alarming 60 per cent of deaths occurred among the young age group of 18 to 35 years.
ALSO READ: Helmet makers demand cut in GST as 2W accidents claim lives in India
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"Accident Death is loss of bread-earner in a family, professional loss to employer, and overall loss to the economy," the Union minister stated.
The minister highlighted the positive outcomes of implementing a system of rewards for good traffic behaviour. He urged regular eye check-ups for drivers, encouraging organisations to create free camps as part of their corporate social responsibility. Gadkari also emphasised that education and awareness involving schools, colleges, NGOs, start-ups, technology providers, IITs, universities, and traffic and highway authorities are crucial for spreading good practices in road safety.
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In November 2023, the International Road Federation (IRF) submitted a proposal to the government to remove the 18 per cent goods and services tax (GST) charged on helmets. This move is an attempt to encourage two-wheeler riders to wear helmets. In 2022, More than 70 per cent of road accident deaths were among two-wheeler riders, and around 50,029 people who died were riding two-wheelers without helmets.
At the time, IRF expressed concern over the price of helmets, as riders also opted to purchase the cheapest available helmet, which did not always meet safety standards.