ROAD SAFETY

India is committed to halving accidents and fatalities by 2020. It will take more than just building safe highways.

1a. New road construction : Perform pre-construction design reviews / audits and satisfy engineering norms (eg new materials); Enhance road capacity on dense routes eg expressways, 6/ 4 laning, laybys; new roads for Naxal, NE, backwards regions; Reduce distance, improve speed (signal-free) & safety by tunnels through mountains/ hills, underpasses, new bridges, city orbital roads, city radial highways; freight specific new roads to connect freight corridors, cities, warehouses, multi-modal hubs, customs and ports; safer border roads (crash barriers, landslide protection); green cover (noise, pollution, glare) and service centres (repair, refueling, restrooms, eateries).

1b. Alternative to roads: Reduce congestion & pollution in cities by adding metro rail in major cities (to connect suburbs, satellite towns, airports, business districts, etc), commuter rail, city buses, metrino and river service. Inter-city coaches, fast rail & HSR, freight rail corridors, regional airways, waterways & coastal shipping and cable cars (hilly areas) will offer time & cost-saving options and free up key NHs. Efficient and seamless interchange is highly desirable.

2. Road safety modifications: Safety audit on all roads, Bridge management system (IT tool for inventory & timely repair or rehabilitation); Planned elimination of black spots, eg. widening, redesigned junctions, diversions, underpasses, flyovers, bridges, elimination of railway level crossings, crash barriers. Timely repair of potholes. Traffic and speed control measures like rumble strips, traffic lights, overhead lighting, clear signage, reflective stickers, speed restrictions, speed cameras.

3. Road safety policy: Education (awareness of speed hazards, timely road safety information eg accidents, hold-ups, weather hazards); Engineering (certification norms for safe roads and vehicles); Enforcement (traffic fines, vehicle fines, parking fines, driving licences) - eliminate human intervention where ever possible; Emergency care.

4 Vehicle norms: Crash tests. Seat belts. Speed limiters, tracking devices. BS-VI fuel pollution requirements. Noise norms. Rules for CNG, bio-diesel, electric vehicles, flexi-fuel autos (ethanol blending). Loading norms.

5. Implementation through States: Motor Vehicle bill 2016 constituted Group of State ministries and agreed measures. State road safety council will be set up to prepare safety action plan, provide funding, identify black spots, awareness & education, training & adequate staffing, provision of ambulances and other emergency care, enforcement of speeds/ fines/ etc via IT, computerized driving schools, regional driver instructor training centres, automated vehicle fitness testing centres, etc.

6. Emergency care: Highway trauma centres at 50 km intervals, equipped with cranes, ambulances, etc. Cashless treatment. Vehicle location tracking devices, emergency buttons & call points.

KEY ACTIONS

National Road Safety Policy
Motor Vehicle (amendment) bill 2016
Scheme for correcting 786 black spots (funds from central road fund). Rs 11000 crore for such road safety measures.
Setu Bharatam (build and repair bridges)
Indian Bridge Management System

NH development & expressway building programme
Bharatmala / Sagarmala (border roads, ports)
Logistic Efficiency Enhancement programme (freight specific)
Total Mobility plan with smooth interchanges & safe transfers
State road building programme

State road safety council, action plan, safety fund, road safety audit for all roads.
State driver training HQs and regional schools
Automated driving testing centres
Automated vehicular fitness checking centres
Highway trauma centres, equipment for same
Roadside amenities
Media safety campaign, Highway Advisory system (free info)
IT systems (eg suppliers marketplace, digilocker for licencing, offences, etc)
Skills development

Vehicle fleet modernisation programme (scrapping scheme).
Improved norms for all vehicles and strict enforcement.
Move to BS-VI fuel use. Norms for flex-fuel autos, green fuel buses, electric vehicles
National Green Highway project (greening of NH)
National Green Highway mission mobile app (monitoring of projects, bottlenecks)
E-tolling (reduce bottlenecks at toll booths)
E-rickshaw (reduce pollution)

Building Safe Highways, Ministry Of Road Transport & Highways