DEVELOPMENT AND UPGRADATION

OF ASIAN HIGHWAYS NETWORK IN

INDIA, INVESTMENT NEEDS AND
STATUS ON ROAD SAFETY
Shri S.B. Basu,
Chief Engineer (Planning & Monitoring),
Department of Road Transport & Highways
(Roads Wing)
Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways,
Government of India

Road Safety Aspects– Are Indian Roads

Different?
¾Traffic conditions vary
¾Heterogeneous traffic in India – ranging
from pedestrians to animal-drawn carts,
non-motorized traffic, two-wheelers, cars,
buses and trucks.
¾Different traffic sharing the same road
space while roads and vehicles get more
modern.

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2
 Growth of Vehicle Population
80000
72718
70000 67007

58863
No. of Vehicles (in Thousands)

60000 54991

48857
50000

40000
33786
30000

20000 21374

10000
665 1865
306 5391
0
1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 1996 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004-(P)

Ye ar

Trend of Accidents
National Highways

160000
Accidents
40
07

82
31
23

55
00

14

140000
13

14
46
12

120000 127834 129994

103839 No. of
115824 persons
100000
killed
Num bers

7
42
98

80000 Persons
injured
60000

40000
32108 33621 33153 34723 35439
28713 30216
20000

0
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Ye ar

3
 Trend of Accidents – contd.-
All Roads

82
21

52
500000

45

46
46
11
65
450000

87
92
439255

40
386456

39
400000
405637 406726
350000 Accidents
51
Num bers

50

300000
37

250000
200000 No. of
persons
150000 killed
81966 80888 85998 94968
100000
50000 78911 92618 Persons
84674
injured
0
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Ye ar

Trend of Accidents in relation to Vehicles

Year No. of Accidents Fatalities Accidents Fatalities
vehicles per 10000 per 10000
(in vehicles vehicles
thousands)

1999 44875 386456 81966 86.12 18.27

2000 48857 391449 78911 80.12 16.15

2001 54991 405637 80888 73.76 14.71

2002 58863 407497 84674 69.23 14.38

2003 67007 406726 85998 60.7 12.83

2004 72718 (P) 429910 92618 59.12 12.74

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 Road Accident Data Collection
¾ Existing system
™Police Station Reports on Accidents, casualties, etc.
™Compiled data transmitted to District Headquarters, who
in turn provide the same to State Headquarters.
™The Nodal Officer of the Police Departments of the
respective States compile the data for the entire States
™State data compiled on Annual Basis forwarded (for the
calendar year January to December) to the Transport
Research Cell of the Department of Road Transport and
Highways.
¾ Drawback
™Data inflow irregular
™Scientific analysis difficult

Causes and Cost of Accidents

¾Drivers’ fault – 79.55%
¾Pedestrian fault / fault of passengers – 1.30 %
¾Mechanical defect in vehicles – 1.76 %
¾Bad roads – 1.24%
¾Other factors– 16.15%
¾Cost of road accidents – 3% of GDP (estimated in
the year 2000)

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 Measures taken -- Engineering
¾ Design stage
¾ Role of Indian Road Congress
¾ Geometric and safety standards –
™ Flyovers
™ Grade separators
™ By-passes
™ Railway Over/Under bridges
™ Bus/truck lay-byes
™ Informatory retro-reflective sign boards
™ Crash barriers
™ Median railings
™ Thermoplastic road markings
™ Traffic lights and delineators
™ Service lanes
¾ Road Safety Audit

Enforcement Measures
¾Testing the competence of drivers at the time of
licensing

¾Checking the physical fitness of vehicles and

their compliance with regulations

¾Statutory use of helmets, wearing of seat-belts

¾Detection / prosecution of drunken driving and

¾Prevention of plying of overloaded vehicles.

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 Educational Measures
¾ Awareness campaigns through print and electronic
media

¾ Calendars, posters, hand bills/ stickers and fund games

for school children

¾ Observance of the Road Safety Week

¾ Appreciated by a large number of persons and

organizations including Members of Parliament

¾ Road safety part of curriculum in class VII under

Central Board of Secondary Education.

Vehicle Safety
¾ Central Government has powers under Motor Vehicles
Act.

¾ Both active and passive safety covered.

¾ Already legislated – safety belts, laminated safety

glass for wind sheet, rear view mirrors, and power-
steering for certain category of vehicles.

¾ A Road Safety Map under preparation.

¾ Progressive harmonization with ECE.

¾ Accession to 1998 Agreement of WP-29.

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 Important Central Schemes
¾Refresher training to drivers – 45,137 covered
in 2006-07.

¾Model Driving Training Schools – 13 already

sanctioned.

¾National Highways Accident Relief Service

Scheme.

Road Safety Organization

¾National Road Safety Council.
¾Department of Road Transport & Highways
¾National Highways Authority of India.
¾Transport, Police, Health and Road Agencies at
the State level.
¾Committee of Experts to suggest a road safety
body at Central level.

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Report of the Committee on Road Safety and
Traffic Management
¾Proposal for the creation of a Directorate of
Road Safety and Traffic Management is under
consideration.
¾A Committee on Road Safety and Traffic
Management Board set up to work out the
modalities.
¾The Committee submitted its report in
February 2007.

Major Recommendations of the Committee on

Road Safety and Traffic Management
¾Creation of a National Road Safety & Traffic
Management Board through an Act of
Parliament.
¾The proposed Board would have regulatory
as well as advisory functions.
¾Regulatory functions include:-
™setting of standards,
™designs for mechanically propelled vehicles,
™setting of safety standards for the National
Highways.

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Major Recommendations of the Committee on
Road Safety and Traffic Management– Continued-
¾ In its advisory role, the Board will advise
Government on:-
™various road safety aspects,
™conduct / commission road safety audits of National
Highways,
™conduct / commission black spot surveys and recommend
treatment.
¾ Recommended an enabling provision for creation of
similar State level bodies.
¾ A minimum of 1% of the total proceeds of the cess on
diesel and petrol should be available to the Road
Safety Fund.

What Can ESCAP do?

¾Promotion of time-tested safety devices
such as seat-belts and helmets.
¾Campaigns against drunken driving and for
promotion of safe driving practices.
¾Training and capacity building
¾Sharing the best-practices in road-safety
among countries of the region.

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 What Can ESCAP do? --(contd..)

¾Networking of academic and research

bodies
¾Designing simple and effective technical
aids to make driver licensing procedure safe
and foolproof.
¾ Facilitating R&D

THANK YOU

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