New Delhi: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, responsible for road transport and highways, is determined to tackle the rising number of road accidents in India. During his address at the CII National Conclave on Road Safety, Gadkari emphasized the government's commitment to reducing accident-related deaths by 50% by the year 2030. He stressed that the surge in accidents and fatalities leads to a significant socio-economic loss, amounting to 3.14% of the GDP.
Gadkari attributed the increase in road accidents and deaths to substandard engineering and flawed detailed project reports (DPRs). He highlighted the urgent need for enhanced road safety measures, calling on the industry to play a pivotal role in developing strategies. The minister urged the industry to focus on initiatives such as behavioral change campaigns, creating a pool of trained drivers, and fostering technical expertise.
According to the Ministry's 2022 report, India witnessed a staggering 460,000 road accidents, resulting in 168,000 deaths and 400,000 serious injuries. The accidents occurred at an alarming rate of 53 per hour, leading to 19 deaths per hour and contributing to an economic loss of 3.18% of the GDP. Gadkari revealed a 12% increase in road accidents and a 10% rise in road accident deaths compared to the previous year.
Gadkari underscored the importance of the four crucial 'E's of road safety: engineering, education, enforcement, and emergency medical services. He pointed fingers at the poor quality of DPRs in the country, holding engineers responsible for the surge in accidents due to inadequate planning and design.
Highlighting a concerning statistic, Gadkari revealed that 16% of road accident victims fall in the age group of 18-35. Despite national and state highways constituting only 5.5% of India's road network, they account for a staggering 36% of road accident deaths.
With road safety taking precedence, the government is striving to achieve a 50% reduction in accident rates by 2030, Gadkari asserted. He called for collaboration between the industry and government to devise solutions that prevent road accidents, emphasizing the pivotal role of education in building safer infrastructure and promoting responsible driving habits.
Gadkari also drew attention to the need for stronger law enforcement and responsive emergency medical services. Addressing a shortage of 2.2 million drivers in the country, the minister encouraged the industry to initiate training programs for new drivers, thereby enhancing overall road safety.
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