Road Safety Accountability: A Call for Legal Reform

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari emphasized making faulty road construction a non-bailable offense, holding contractors accountable for accidents. With India leading globally in road accidents, his ministry aims to cut fatalities by half by 2030. Efforts include correcting black spots and promoting driver training.

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has proposed stricter measures against faulty road construction, suggesting it be classified as a non-bailable offense. This move aims to hold road contractors and engineers accountable, potentially leading to imprisonment if accidents occur due to poor infrastructure.

Highlighting the gravity of the situation, Gadkari stated that India holds the unfortunate distinction of being the world's leader in road accident fatalities. Addressing an event organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry, he detailed the ministry's goal to reduce these fatalities by 50% by 2030.

In 2023 alone, India experienced around five lakh road accidents resulting in 1,72,000 deaths. A significant percentage of these were within the 18-45 age bracket, including 10,000 child fatalities. Gadkari also noted alarming statistics related to safety gear, with 55,000 deaths attributed to the absence of helmets and 30,000 due to non-use of seat belts, signaling a pressing need for improved road safety measures.

(With inputs from agencies.)