The number of deaths on roads is not decreasing, a National Road Traffic Injury Surveillance System will have to be created:

News Topical, Digital Desk : The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has been constantly expressing concern that despite all efforts, the number of road accidents and the loss of life in them is not decreasing. Of course, the negligence of drivers towards traffic rules is a big reason, but at the same time the problem is that the government has not been able to improve the system required for monitoring and improvement.

India does not yet have a National Road Traffic Injury Surveillance System

In the report of Transportation Research and Injury Prevention Center of IIT Delhi, concern has been raised over the fact that India does not yet have a National Road Traffic Injury Surveillance System.

Ironically, the data of the states does not match even with the portal of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. In the India Status Report on Road Safety-2024 report, experts have said that a reliable accident data system related to all aspects of running an effective road safety program is essential.

It is not known what the number of deaths or injuries in accidents is.

It is necessary to develop strategies to assess accident risks, identify disruptions and allocate resources taking the most effective approach. Accurately assessing and monitoring these aspects is essential for road safety management. What is the number of deaths or injuries in accidents?

What is the prevalence of helmet use and what is the status of enforcement? Experts have admitted that all this requires strong data. The report has revealed that India does not have a national road traffic injury monitoring system. At the national level and in most states, details of traffic accidents are prepared in such a way that they cannot be used for policy planning.

Trucks play the biggest role in fatal accidents

For example, this IIT report, based on data from FIRs, says trucks have the biggest role in fatal accidents, while such information is not available in the annual report of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Not only this, the ministry has suggested Integrated Road Accident Database and e-Detailed Accident Report System to the states. In these, data is collected through police, hospitals and transport department. States are gradually implementing it, but its reliability also seems to be in doubt.

Lalitpur district of Uttar Pradesh reported accidents

In fact, the report itself gives an example of how a huge difference has been found between the accidents reported in the data of Lalitpur district of Uttar Pradesh and the information recorded in the EDAR system.

Experts who prepared this report have recommended that along with creating a road traffic injury surveillance system at the national level, capacity will have to be developed at the state level to collect high quality data.

Accident monitoring necessary at state level

There should be a classification of which accidents were more fatal and which were less fatal. Along with this, the need to establish accident monitoring units at the state level has been stated so that the capacity to do statistical analysis of the data is also developed.