Indian road accident scenario

Why in News?

• Recently, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways the Indian road accident scenario, with 415 deaths and many injured every day, is more severe than Covid-19.

Highlights

• Over 1.5 lakh people died from road accidents in 2021, and this has been the trend for several years.
• According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data from 2021, driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol contributed to 1.9% of deaths from accidents.
• Further, 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
• Pathetic conditions of roads and vehicles, poor visibility and poor road design and engineering – including quality of material and construction, especially a single-lane with a sharp curve.
• Over speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, tiredness or riding without a helmet, driving without seatbelts.
• Women in the families of victims bore the burden across poor and rich households, often taking up extra work, assuming greater responsibilities, and performing caregiving activities.
• According to World Bank’s report “Traffic Crash Injuries and Disabilities: The Burden on Indian Society, 2021,
• About 50% of women were severely affected by the decline in their household income after a crash.
• About 40% of women reported a change in their working patterns post-accident, while around 11% reported taking up extra work to deal with the financial crisis.
• The Income decline for low-income rural households (56%) was the most severe compared to low-income urban (29.5%) and high-income rural households (39.5%).