Design and Road Safety Standards for National Highways
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has taken a number of steps to prevent road accidents as per details mentioned under:
(i) The Government has approved a National Road Safety Policy. This Policy outlines various measures such as promoting awareness, establishing road safety information data base, encouraging safer road infrastructure including application of intelligent transport, enforcement of safety laws etc.
(ii) The Government has constituted the National Road Safety Council as the apex body to take policy decisions in matters of road safety.
(iii) The Ministry has requested all States/UTs for setting up of State Road Safety CouncilS and District Road Safety Committees, and to hold their meetings regularly.
(iv) The Ministry has formulated a multi-pronged strategy to address the issue of road safety based on 4 ‘E’s viz. Education, Engineering (both of roads and vehicles), Enforcement and Emergency Care.
(v) Road safety has been made an integral part of road design at planning stage.
(vi) Road Safety Audit of selected stretches of National Highways.
(vii) Setting up of model driving training institutes in states and refresher training to drivers of Heavy Motor Vehicle in the unorganized sector.
(viii) Advocacy/Publicity campaign on road safety through the electronic and print media.
(ix) Tightening of safety standards for vehicles like seat belts, power-steering, anti-lock braking system etc.
(x) Providing cranes and ambulances to various state governments under the National Highway Accident Relief Service Scheme for deployment on National Highways. National Highways Authority of India also provides ambulances at a distance of 50 Km. on each of its completed stretches of National Highways under its Operation & Maintenance contracts.
(xi) Identification and rectification of black spots (accident prone spots)
(xii) Launch of pilot projects for providing cashless treatment of road accident victims on Gurgaon – Jaipur, Vadodara – Mumbai stretch of National Highways No. 8 and Ranchi – Rargaon – Mahulia stretch of National Highway No. 33.
Global Status Report 2015 on Road Safety has been released by World Health Organization (WHO). Total number of 1,37,572 road fatalities in India during the year 2013 has been reported in the said publication. Persons killed in road accidents in terms of road user category has been reported as under:
| Road user | Persons killed. |
| Drivers 4-wheeled cars and light vehicles | 7% |
| Passengers 4-wheeled cars and light vehicles | 10% |
| Riders motorized 2- or 3-wheelers | 34% |
| Cyclists | 4% |
| Pedestrians | 9% |
| Drivers/passengers heavy trucks | 13% |
| Drivers/passengers buses | 7% |
| Other | 16% |
Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has been impressing from time to time to road Authorities to comply with Road Safety Norms during design, construction and operation of roads including National Highways.
This information was given by Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways, Shri Pon. Radhakrishnan in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.
Source :Press Information Bureau, Govt of India, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways 03-December, 2015