Road safety issues and various measures for road safety

ROAD SAFETY ISSUES

• The agencies, contractors or consultants involved in design, laying down and maintenance of roads,
• Research shows that the risk of being involved in a traffic crash increases with every kilometer traveled in a personal vehicle
• Increased use of public transport improves accessibility, thereby improving road safety.
• Vehicles could potentially damage the health and safety of road users, because of design flaws
• Many traffic offenses in India, such as drunk driving and speeding, currently have low penal provisions.
• Road traffic crashes are an epidemic in India and this is not only a public health issue but also an economic one. 
  

VARIOUS MEASURES FOR ROAD SAFETY

• Improved road safety has been demonstrated through effective central legislation
• Using public transport is an effective way of improving road safety
• The Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill
• proposes creating a board with representation from state governments to advise central and state governments on road safety and traffic management. 
• clearly links infrastructure design to safety
• empowers the central government to come up with national transport policy, which would help develop a framework for planning, granting permits and setting priorities for the road transport sector
• proposes a new category of permits that will help scale up public transport services in cities as well as rural areas.
• empowers the government to ask manufacturers to recall motor vehicles if they could potentially damage the health and safety of road users, whether because of design flaws, emissions or other features
• imposes enhanced penalties will act as a deterrent and improve safety.
• would also create a Motor Vehicles Accident Fund that provides compulsory insurance to all road users including drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians
• protects “Good Samaritans,” anyone who assists a crash victim by providing emergency medical or non-medical support, from any civil or criminal action
• For offenses committed by juvenile drivers, the bill proposes that the guardian or owner of the vehicle would be guilty.

•  Based on evidence provided by World Resources Institute (WRI) a road safety and sustainable mobility awareness program called Safer by design through opinion pieces workshops and trainings for civil society groups and trucking and taxi associations helps build consensus that sustainable mobility plays an important role in improving road safety.