GS Paper 2
Syllabus: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation
Source: TH
Direction: The article emphasises SC’s concerns about increasing fatal accidents on Indian roads, data on road accidents in India, steps by the Indian government and the way ahead.
Context: A Bench led by the Chief Justice of India (D.Y. Chandrachud) agreed that urgent steps need to be taken to enforce Section 136A of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
Background:
- Section 136A was introduced into the Motor Vehicles Act in 2019 to keep an electronic eye on errant drivers.
- In this respect, the SC directed its committee (led by Justice A.M. Sapre) to meet with the Road Transport Secretary and frame State-specific guidelines.
- In its reply, the Centre stated that it has already framed Rules under sub-section (2) of Section 136A, which provides for rules for the electronic monitoring of road safety including speed cameras, CCTV cameras, speed guns, etc.
Data on Road accidents in India:
- According to NCRB data, over 1.5 lakh people died from road accidents in 2021 and nearly 90% of deaths on the road were due to speeding, overtaking and dangerous driving.
- According to the World Bank’s data from 2019, India ranked first among the top 20 countries for road accidents.
The WB’s report on women’s mobility in India:
- For women, the fear of sexual assault is another cause for concern when they traverse public spaces after dark.
- 84% of women’s trips were estimated to be by public transport, and more women tend to walk to work compared to men.
Steps taken by the Indian government:
- The 2021 National Road Safety Board Rules require the formation of technical working groups to address issues such as crash investigation and forensics.
Way ahead for India:
- Evidence-based preventive interventions. For example, black spots or accident-prone areas on roads where mishaps happen without the fault of drivers, need to be marked.
- Sundar Committee’s recommendations need immediate implementation. For example, establishing a centralised national body for road safety and establishing decentralised responsibility at the district level.
- WB launched a “Toolkit on Enabling Gender Responsive Urban Mobility and Public Spaces in India”, suggesting a four-pillared approach.
The Brasilia Declaration, adopted at the second global high-level conference on road safety held in Brazil, lays down recommendations on strengthening existing legislations, adopting sustainable transport and strengthening the post-crash response.
In the declaration, participants reasserted their commitment to reducing the deaths caused due to traffic accidents to half by the year 2020.
This target was set under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Insta Links:
World Bank’s new toolkit on Enabling Gender Responsive Urban Mobility
