How accidents of high-profile personalities lead to change in automotive safety norms?

Major accidents occurred in 2022, claiming several lives and injuring many, including Cyrus Mistry in September 2022 and, more recently, Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant.

According to official data from the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, approximately 1.3 million lives are lost globally each year as a result of road accidents. In India, 1,53,972 lives are lost in 2021. Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh are the main two states where most road accidents and deaths occur. This equates to 17 people dying every hour.

What is the main reason behind this? Are people not following the safety norms? What is shocking is that, despite such a high number of alarming incidents, many road users continue to disregard basic safety precautions.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 93 percent of road fatalities occur in low- and middle-income countries, despite the fact that these countries own roughly 60% of the world's vehicles. In terms of a total number of road accidents in 2021, Tamil Nadu was the top state, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala.

In terms of road fatalities, Uttar Pradesh was followed by Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan as the top five states with the highest number of fatalities.

Overspeeding - the leading cause of death.

The maximum speed limit in most Indian cities is around 60kmph, on highways it is 80-100kmph, and on National Highways it is now proposed to increase to 140kmph.

However, when one examines the data for the number of road accidents and the key factors that contribute to them. Overspeeding was responsible for 72.5 percent of all accidents, 69.3 percent of all deaths, and 73.4 percent of all injuries in a road accidents.

Other factors that cause accidents are Untrained and unqualified drivers, lack of road discipline, overconfidence in one's ability to drive the vehicle, lack of focus, driving under the influence of alcohol, or even a lack of sleep.

Implementation of strict policies

Looking at the performance in road safety and the challenges that come with it. The Indian government has been working hard to introduce and implement stringent safety standards.

Indeed, recent high-profile mishaps in the country have accelerated the government's focus on reducing the number of road accidents nationwide. Major accidents occurred in 2022, claiming several lives and injuring many, including Cyrus Mistry in September 2022 and, more recently, Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant.

On April 1, 2019, India became the first country in the world to make ABS (Anti-Braking Systems) compulsory on two- and four-wheelers. A combined braking system is now coming in buses and trucks also

Then came the mandate of two airbags, one for the driver and one for the front passenger, beginning in July 2019 and eventually mandating six airbags in the vehicle, originally scheduled for October 2022 but now pushed back to October 2023.

The implementation of tyre ratings or the proposed Bharat NCAP norms is also expected to bring vehicular safety to the forefront.

However, while automakers can be pushed to make active and passive safety features standards, and governments can impose stricter regulations, the onus remains on the road user to ensure safe behaviour, not just for vehicle occupants but also for other road users.

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