“The foundation of all road safety efforts must rest on a fundamental constitutional principle: the right to safe road travel is an essential component of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution”
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India is at a crucial juncture in mobility transformation, where economic growth and urbanisation bring both opportunities and challenges to road safety. With one of the world’s largest road networks, India also carries the burden of having among the highest number of road traffic fatalities globally. In 2022, India recorded 1.68 lakh road accident fatalities. This translates to approximately 12.2 deaths per 1 lakh population. To put this in perspective, Japan and the U.K. have road traffic death rates of 2.57 and 2.61, respectively.
The economic repercussions of this are equally alarming. Road crashes cost India an estimated 3% of its GDP annually. This hampers national development and underscores the urgency for effective road safety measures.
Right to life
The foundation of all road safety efforts must rest on a fundamental constitutional principle: the right to safe road travel is an essential component of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution. Every citizen, whether a pedestrian, cyclist, or driver, has the right to move through public spaces without fear of injury or death. Recognising this right imposes a moral and legal duty on the state and society to treat road safety not as a privilege or technical matter, but as a human right and public good.
India’s urban landscape is poised for significant transformation. By 2047, the urban population is expected to account for about 50% of the total population. This rapid urbanisation will be accompanied by a substantial rise in vehicle ownership. The growing urban and vehicular population necessitates people-centric interventions to ensure that streets remain safe, especially for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, the elderly, and public transport commuters.
At the heart of future-ready urban mobility lies the Safe System Approach, which places human vulnerability and error at the centre of road design. This philosophy acknowledges that people will make mistakes, but those mistakes should not result in fatalities or serious injuries. Prioritising pedestrian safety is fundamental under this approach. Urban streets must be redesigned with wider footpaths, dedicated cycling tracks, well-marked crossings, pedestrian refuge islands, reduced speed limits, and calming measures such as raised intersections. This system moves away from blaming individual road users and instead emphasises creating a forgiving and resilient road environment.
Recognising the urgency of the road safety crisis, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has launched a series of targeted initiatives. These include rectification of over 5,000 black spots on highways, mandatory road safety audits, and stricter safety norms such as airbags and anti-lock braking systems in vehicles. Electronic enforcement mechanisms such as speed cameras and CCTV surveillance have also been rolled out to improve compliance. In a major push to strengthen driver training, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari recently announced the setting up of driving training centres and vehicle fitness centres in every district. This bold initiative aims to ensure safer driving practices and reduce accidents caused by unskilled driving.
To meet the massive financial requirements of road safety improvements, innovative funding models must be explored. One such approach could be a nationwide mandate for all automobile manufacturers to channel their entire Corporate Social Responsibility funds towards road safety initiatives for the next 20-25 years. This investment, executed in collaboration with the Indian government, could support black spot elimination, public awareness campaigns, emergency trauma care, driver training, and road safety research. As primary stakeholders in the mobility ecosystem, auto-makers bear a shared responsibility for making Indian roads safer, and this long-term commitment can become a cornerstone of India’s Vision Zero ambitions.
Road safety strategy
The four Es of road safety — engineering, enforcement, education, and emergency care — remain the cornerstone of an integrated road safety strategy. While enforcement and emergency care are gaining ground, there is an urgent need to strengthen infrastructure design and user education to prevent accidents before they occur.
Importantly, the World Bank Report 2020 outlines a strategic framework for enhancing road safety in India. It emphasises the need for substantial investment, estimating that an additional $109 billion over the next decade is required to achieve a 50% reduction in road crash fatalities. The report highlights that this investment will yield enormous social and economic returns by saving lives, reducing injuries, and improving mobility efficiency.
The iRAP Four States Report and other global analyses further confirm that investments in road safety deliver high returns. For every rupee spent on proven safety interventions, India can save up to four rupees in avoided crash costs, lives saved, and productivity gains.
India’s roads must also become kinder to the most vulnerable users — pedestrians, cyclists, and children. Roads are not just conduits for vehicles but shared public spaces that reflect our civic values. Urban mobility must be reimagined to prioritise inclusivity and safety over speed. As we envision Viksit Bharat 2047, the path ahead must be paved with accountability and data-driven policy. Road safety is not a luxury; it is a prerequisite for sustainable and equitable development.
Alok Mittal, Senior Indian Police Service officer in Haryana; Sarika Panda, Road safety expert
Published – May 15, 2025 01:33 am IST