Nearly 200,000 road accidents kill people in India every year; Nitin Gadkari reveals the harsh truth.

News Topical, Digital Desk : Union Minister Nitin Gadkari participated in the 3rd National Conclave on Road Safety in New Delhi on Thursday, February 26.

In this program, Nitin Gadkari said, 'Every year in India, about five lakh accidents occur and 1.80 lakh deaths occur due to road accidents.'

Regarding these accidents, Nitin Gadkari said that changing people's behavior and implementing traffic laws are the biggest challenges for the country in improving road safety.

Road accidents cause 5 lakh deaths in a year

Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said, overspeeding causes around 1,20,000 deaths every year in the country, while not wearing helmets causes more than 54,000 deaths and not wearing seat belts causes more than 14,000 deaths.

The Union Minister further stated, " More than 10,000 children under the age of 18 die in road accidents every year." Nitin Gadkari added that drunk driving, driving on the wrong side of the road, and mobile phone use are also major causes of road accident deaths.

Road accidents cause GDP losses

Nitin Gadkari said, road accidents cause economic loss equivalent to about three percent of India's GDP and such a situation poses a fundamental challenge for policy makers.

Regarding vehicle safety, Nitin Gadkari said, "India's automobile standards are being aligned with global norms. Six airbags are now mandatory in vehicles. New technologies are also being introduced for heavy vehicles that can automatically apply brakes in an emergency."

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