SUNDAR COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS (2007)

The Government constituted a Committee under the Chairmanship of Shri S. Sundar, Former
Secretary (MoST) in the year 2005 to deliberate and make recommendations on creation of a
dedicated body on road safety and traffic management. The Committee was also
subsequently requested to finalise a draft National Road Safety Policy for consideration of
the Government. In order to achieve a significant improvement in road safety, the committee
recommended to:

(i) Raise Awareness about Road Safety Issues

The Government would increase its efforts to promote awareness about the various
aspects of road safety, the social and economic implications of road accidents and
what needs to be done to curb the rising menace of road accidents. This would enable
and empower the different stakeholders to play a meaningful role in promoting road
safety.

(ii) Establish a Road Safety Information Database

The Government will provide assistance to local bodies, Union Territories and States
to improve the quality of crash investigation and of data collection, transmission and
analysis. A National Road Safety Information System will be established for
providing continuity and policy guidelines to this activity.

(iii) Ensure Safer Road Infrastructure

The Government will take measures to review standards pertaining to safety in the
design of rural and urban roads and bring them in consonance with international best
practices keeping in view Indian traffic conditions. Continuing application of
Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) under a national framework to establish a safe
and efficient transport system will be encouraged.

(iv) Safer Vehicles

The Government will take steps to ensure that safety features are built in at the stage
of design, manufacture, usage, operation and maintenance of both motorized and non-
motorized vehicles in line with international standards and practices in order to
minimize adverse safety and environmental effects of vehicle operation on road users
(including pedestrians and bicyclists) and infrastructure.

(v) Safer Drivers

The Government will strengthen the system of driver licensing and training to
improve the competence and capability of drivers.

(vi) Safety of Vulnerable Road Users

The design and construction of all road facilities (rural and urban) will take into
account the needs of non-motorized transport and the vulnerable and physically
challenged in an appropriate manner. The Government will seek to disseminate ‘best
 practices’ in this regard to town planners, architects, and highway and traffic
engineers.

(vii) Road Traffic Safety Education and Training

Road safety knowledge and awareness will be created amongst the population through
education, training and publicity campaigns. Road safety education will also focus on
school children and college going students, while road safety publicity campaigns will
be used to propagate good road safety practices among the community. The
Government will encourage all professionals associated with road design, road
construction, road network management, traffic management and law enforcement to
attain adequate knowledge of road safety issues.

(viii) Enforcement of Safety Laws

The Government will take appropriate measures to assist various state and other
governments to strengthen and improve the quality of enforcement in order to ensure
effective and uniform implementation of safety laws. The Government will actively
encourage the establishment and strengthening of highway Patrolling on National and
State Highways in cooperation with State Governments and Union Territories as
appropriate.
STANDING COMMITTEE REPORT SUMMARY

THE NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT BOARD BILL,2010

1. The Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture (Chairperson:

Shri Sitaram Yechury) tabled its 160 Report on ‘The National Road Safety and
Traffic Management Board Bill, 2010’ on July 27, 2010. The Bill was
introduced in the Lok Sabha on May 4, 2010.
2. The Committee recommended that the Bill to create the Board for road safety
and traffic management needed to be made comprehensive so that all
aspects of road safety are incorporated.
3. According to the Sundar Committee report, the basic problem was the
existence of large number of agencies at the centre and state with little
coordination among them. The Bill however does not do away with the
existing agencies and the role of the Board is to aid and advise the Ministry.
The Committee observed that the Bill is only adding yet another institution to
the existing ones. It does not empower the Board to act as a coordinator
among existing bodies.
4. Since the Board can make recommendations on road safety only with relation
to national highways, its mandate is limited. Almost 70% of all accidents occur
in roads than national highways.
5. The Committee noted that the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2007 has not
been passed, which would have taken care of many road safety issues.
Instead another Bill has been introduced. The Committee showed its
disapproval at the idea of bringing legislative proposals to the Parliament
piecemeal.
6. The Committee asked the government to expedite the formulation of a
National Road Safety Policy.
7. The Committee pointed out that the qualification required of the Chairperson
of the Board has been diluted from what was recommended in the Sundar
Committee.
8. The Committee stated that any measure for improving road safety and traffic
management would not be successful unless the menace of corruption is
taken care of.
9. The Committee felt that instead of looking at the examples of US and Sweden
to formulate Indian road safety policy, it will be better to look at Brazil or China
since they would be of greater relevance.
10. The Committee recommended that the Bill be withdrawn and the government
should come out with a comprehensive legislation that addresses the entire
gamut of road safety.
KS RADHAKRISHNA COMMITTEE (2014)

1. The Committee looked into the institutional arrangements and Enforcement, Engineering,
Education and Emergency Care for ensuring road safety in the country.

2. The Committee has so far held 140 meetings with States and 17 with Central Ministries
to identify gaps in implementation of road safety laws and passed directions to improve road
safety in the country.

3. The Committee also has held 26 meetings with NGOs/experts and practitioners on road
safety.

Status of Road Safety in States/UTs at the time of constitution of Committee-

1. Institutional Arrangements:

 Hardly any State had a Road Safety Policy

 Most of the States had no Road Safety Council.
 None of the States had a lead agency responsible for coordinating actions of
concerned departments/agencies of the Government to deal with road safety.
 None of the States had non - lapsable road safety fund to ensure continuous
availability of adequate funds for performing their road safety activities.

2. Engineering:

 None of the States had protocol for identifying black spots and taking corrective
actions to rectify them
 None of the States conducted road safety audit
 IRC standards were not met and no action taken against those responsible
 None of the States had adequate number of trained vehicle inspectors to examine and
certify the road worthiness of transport/commercial vehicles.

3. Enforcement:

 The procedure for issue of permanent driving license was very lax.
 60 - 90 licenses were issued by a Licensing Officer on each day.
 The number of traffic police in each State was barely one for 10000 vehicles
 Inadequate functional Alco - meters, breath - analysers, speed guns, interceptors etc.
to monitor traffic violations.
 Helmet/Seat belt laws were not enforced vigorously.

4. Education:

 Awareness programme carried out in a routine manner restricted to Road Safety

Week only.
 Road Safety Education and awareness restricted to only school children and drivers
of heavy commercial vehicles (in some States).
 No evaluation done by any State of the strategy that had the maximum effect.
5. Emergency Care:

 States had inadequate number of fully equipped Trauma Centres and medical
personnel.
 Ambulances provided by the Government were not equipped with required First Aid
facilities and were not manned by trained para - medical staff.

Directions issued to States/UTs:-

1. Institutional arrangements

 Formulate State Road Safety Policy.

 Set up a State Road Safety Council and hold its meetings at least twice in a year and
forward minutes to the Committee.
 Set up a Lead Agency with adequate dedicated and professional staff to deal
exclusively with road safety issues.
 Establish a non - lapsable Road Safety Fund by apportioning certain percentage of
fines collected from traffic violations.
 Prepare Road Safety Action Plan with annual targets for reducing road accidents and
deaths.
 Constitute District Road Safety Committees, fix targets for reduction for reducing
road accidents and deaths for each district and monitor their performance on a regular
basis.

2. Engineering

 Set up a protocol for identification, rectification and monitoring of Black Spots and
follow it.
 Adopt traffic calming measures at locations where accidents occur due to over
speeding.
 Carry out road safety audits during design, construction and operation of roads.
 No new road beyond Rs . 10 crores should be undertaken without undergoing design
audit and implementing recommendations of Audit (changed to 5 km of road).
 Impart training in road safety audit to the engineers and prepare annual calendar for
the purpose.

3. Enforcement

 Review the norms recommended by MHA for police strength and equipment and
draw up a timeline for implementing these norms.
 Patrol roads, especially National Highways and State Highways based on the analysis
of the accident data.
 Ban sale of alcohol on National and State Highways as directed by the Hon’ble
Supreme Court.
 Remove hoardings and objects that obstruct driving or distract drivers.
 Remove encroachment on pedestrian paths.
 Suspend driving license for at least 3 months for certain traffic violations like over
speeding, red light jumping, over loading, use of mobile phone while diving.
  Provide road safety education and counselling for at least 2 hours before levying of
fine or compounding of offence for violation of helmet and seat belt laws.
 Prosecute for imprisonment in cases of drunken driving or dangerous driving like
driving in the wrong way
 Establish computerized driver testing facilities and vehicle testing and certification
centres to ensure reduction in human intervention and corrupt practices.
 Ensure that the Speed Governors being fitted in the existing transport vehicles are
type - approved and are given unique identification number, which should also be
uploaded in the VAHAN data along with details of the vehicle.

4. Education:

 Carry out road safety awareness programmes in a scientific and systematic manner.
 Evaluate strategies that have maximum effect.
 Undertake programmes to educate all stakeholders.
 Add road safety as a subject in the school curriculum.
 Show road safety films/ Clippings to educate the public in all cinema halls before
showing any film, as is done in the case of tobacco use.

5. Emergency Care:

 Establish adequate number of fully equipped trauma care centres with medical
personnel and ambulances equipped with first aid facilities manned by trained para -
medical staff
 Establish a Universal Accident Helpline Number.

Directions issued to Ministries:

1.MoRTH/NHAI

 Establish National Road Safety Board for setting up safety standards.

 Prepare protocol for identification, rectification and monitoring of Black Spots in
respect of National Highways.
 Develop wayside amenities for drivers of commercial vehicles.
 Issue Notification on Ambulance Code.
 Issue Regulations for ATO (Automatic Headlights On).
 Issue Notification on Crash Test for LMVs.
 Install Speed Governors in HMVs.
 Issue Notification on Side and Back Safety Guards in trucks
 Issue Notification on Bus/Truck body building code
 Installation of ABS and Air Bags in the cars

2. MHA

Devise norms for the number of traffic police and also for the equipment’s for identifying
violations of traffic laws.

3. Department of Industrial Promotion & Policy(DIPP):

Install 10 no of quality reflectors on Bicycles to increase their visibility during night.

4. IRDA

 Set up a regular Protocol for matching VAHAN data with 3rd party insurance data to
identify the uninsured vehicles and bring all uninsured vehicles under insurance
cover.
 Make 3rd Party insurance for 3 years for cars and 5 years for 2 wheelers mandatory at
the time of registration of new vehicles.