New Delhi: Tamil Nadu, Ladakh and Telangana top the list of States and UTs in India with a large number of death rates per lakh population in road accidents where people between 25-35 years of age followed by persons aged 35 to 45 and 10-15 years of age bear the maximum fatalities.
Government data in possession of ETV Bharat said that unmanned signal systems, travelling in poor light and excessive speed are some of the major factors that lead to road accidents in India.
Studies indicate that a high burden of road injuries and fatalities are attributed to the non-usage of safety devices such as helmets and seat belts. “The drivers had the highest road fatalities and injuries due to non-wearing of helmets, and passengers had the highest injuries due to non-wearing of seat belts,” said data compiled by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
The Sec 129 of the Motor Vehicle Act (MVA), 2019, mandates the use of safety harnesses on motorcycles as well Sec 194 B ensures use of child restraint among the children.
According to the data, Tamil Nadu (23.38%), Ladakh (20.81%), Telangana (20.01%), Chhattisgarh (19.70%), and Karnataka (17.47%) rank highest, death rates per lakh population in 2022.
Despite efforts to improve road safety, India continues to grapple with a high number of fatalities due to road traffic incidents. The mortality ratio remains constant at approximately 86% for males and 14% for females.
Over-speeding is the leading cause of these deaths, accounting for a staggering 75.2% of fatalities. Other major contributing factors include driving on the wrong side of the road (5.8%) and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (2.5%).
“These traffic violations highlight the need for stricter enforcement and public awareness campaigns. States like Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka reported the highest number of road traffic incidents deaths in 2022, contributing 13.41%, 10.61%, 9.03%, 7.96%, and 6.93%,” the data revealed.
According to the MoRTH report, a total of 4,61,312 road accidents were reported in 2022, which included 1,68,491 fatalities and 4,43,366 injuries. A significant increasing trend in mortality has been seen between 2016 to 2019. However, there was a decrease in trend in 2020 which was attributed to COVID pandemic and underreporting of data.
“But morbidity due to road traffic incidents declined significantly from 2016-2019, but this positive trend was reversed in 2022,” the report said.
Analysis of road traffic incidents reveal a significant disparity in mortality rates based on location. Rural areas bear the brunt of such fatalities, with a staggering 67.8% of deaths occurring there compared to 32.2% in urban areas.
Furthermore, the data suggests that open areas and residential zones might be particularly dangerous, with potentially higher fatality rates compared to other locations. Addressing this geographical disparity is crucial for improving overall road safety in India.
Actions To Prevent Road Traffic Incidents
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways review and strengthen road safety laws prioritizing enforcement and enacting new legislation. It strictly enforces the motor vehicle amendment act 2019 with focus on road safety.
The Ministry suggests implement applicable traffic laws related to vehicle speed (Section 112 of the MVA), strengthen the driver licensing system and ensure that all new driving licenses are issued through proper testing centers (Sec 8 of MVA) and strict compliance with laws regarding driving under the influence of alcohol (Sec 185 of MVA).
Factors influencing crash involvement
Inappropriate and excessive speed, fatigue, young people particularly male, shift workers, people with untreated sleep apnea syndrome or narcolepsy are some of the major factors that lead to road traffic incidents.
According to the MoRTH report, high risk driving behaviours when young people are in a vehicle together, being a vulnerable road user in urban and residential areas, handheld mobile telephones while driving, traveling in darkness or poor lighting, vehicle factors such as braking, handling and maintenance, are other factors that led to such incidents.
Defects in road design, layout, and maintenance. Unmanned or dysfunctional signal system at road crossings, potholes, inadequate visibility because of environmental factors, poor eyesight of road users or color blindness, health impairment (sudden illness like myocardial infarction, stroke, hypoglycemia, epilepsy) and driving under the influence of alcohol and other drugs, are the other factors that led to maximum road traffic incidents.
Factors influencing post-crash outcome of injuries
Delay in detecting a crash and in transport of those injured to a health facility influence post-crash outcome of injuries. Fire resulting after following a collision, leakage of hazardous materials, difficulty in rescuing and extricating people from vehicles as well as reluctant behaviour of bystanders because of legal concerns and lack of appropriate pre-hospital care also influence post-crash outcome of injuries.
