Road accidents cause more than 3 per cent loss in GDP, says Nitin Gadkari
India witnesses 5 lakh road accidents a year, which lead to 1.8 lakh deaths, including a death toll of 10,000 children annually! Cold statistics that tell the very real problem India has with road safety, and highlighted by none other than Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.
The minister was speaking at the launch of the Online Road Safety Education Programme across the country and highlighted the need for comprehensive improvement in the three pillars of road safety—automobile engineering (vehicle safety features), civil engineering (road and infra design and construction), and enforcement (traffic law enforcement).
The minister also emphasised another pillar, education, and called for public awareness and the urgent need to educate youngsters about traffic rules and safe road practices.
“It is very unfortunate that India records over five lakh road accidents annually, out of which around 1.8 lakh people lose their lives. Alarmingly, 64 per cent of these deaths fall in the age group of 18 to 45, and over 10,000 children under the age of 18 also die in these accidents. This loss contributes to an estimated 3.14 per cent drop in our GDP,” he said.
He urged students to become responsible citizens by discouraging their parents from using phones while driving and by never jumping red lights.
He also highlighted legal reforms and mentioned that those who help road accident victims by taking them to the hospital will no longer be harassed or questioned. "This step alone can save nearly 50,000 lives a year," he added.
The initiative was organised by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) in collaboration with Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan. It aims to create awareness among school students about road safety and ultimately work to reduce the alarming number of road accidents and fatalities in India. Also present were education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, SIAM executive director Prashant Banerjee and former SIAM president Vinod Aggarwal.
A special educational module titled Surakshit Safar has been developed by SIAM for this purpose. It includes interactive models such as the "Tortoise Model" to emphasise helmet use and the "Kangaroo Pouch Model" to encourage seat belt usage—both in the front and back seats. India records 55,000 deaths annually due to a lack of helmet usage, and nearly 30,000 due to not wearing seat belts.
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