New Delhi: A total of 7,36,129 people died in the country due to road accidents in the past five years, the government said in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. Replying to a question on the number of deaths recorded in the country in the past five years, due to road accidents, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha said, "As per the data received from the police department of all States/Union Territories (UTs), the total number of persons, who died due to road accidents in the country during the last five years stood at 2017 (1,47,913), 2018 (1,51,417), 2019 (1,51,113), 2020 (1,31,714) and 2021 (1,53,972)."
When being asked to comment on the critical issue of these deaths are recorded due to the absence of adequate emergency medical services along the National Highways and other main roads in the country, Gadkari said, "With the overall objective to bring down preventable deaths due to road accidents, the Central government has taken initiatives towards setting up of Trauma Care Facilities (TCFs) along the National Highways."
He further stated that "During the 11th Five-Year Plan, under the scheme, namely ‘Assistance for capacity building for developing trauma care facilities in government hospitals on National Highways'', financial assistance was provided to States/Union Territories (UTs) for upgrading/ strengthening trauma care facilities in identified Government Hospitals/Medical Colleges."
The scheme continued during the 12th Five-Year Plan as capacity building for developing Trauma Care Facilities (TCFs). "The programme continued beyond the 12th Five-Year Plan as ‘National Programme for Prevention and Management of Trauma and Burn Injuries' wherein Trauma Care Facilities identified during 11th and 12th Five Year Plan are being supported. So far, 196 TCFs have been sanctioned under the programme," the Union Minister said.
To a query on the kind of guidelines the government has issued to address this problem, Gadkari replied that the government has installed various guidelines to put an end to this menace, including better road engineering, filling of black spots, construction of medical facilities along the National Highways, seat belt reminder and others.
