Fatality rate due to road accidents not coming down: International Road Federation

More than 26,000 road accidents took place in school zones, including colleges, in the country in the year 2024, the International Road Federation (IRF) said on Tuesday and expressed caution about increasing number of road accidents.

Addressing an event organised by IRF, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Director General (Road Development) & Special Secretary D Sarangi said despite the road safety audit at all stages of National Highways the national fatality rate is not coming down.

"As per the latest year 2024 electronic Detailed Accident Report (e-DAR), out of total 5.7 lakh road accidents in the country, 4.6 per cent road accidents took place in the school zones including colleges," IRF said in a statement. On calculation, 4.6 per cent of 5.7 lakh amounts to 26,220.

'DAR' in the context of road accidents stands for 'Detailed Accident Report' refers to a comprehensive document detailing the circumstances of a road accident, usually filled out by the police at the scene, and in the Indian system, the 'e-DAR' refers to an electronic version of this report, allowing for faster data collection and analysis to improve road safety initiatives.

Sarangi said the major cause of road accidents in the country is high speed, the higher the speed the more the accidents.

As mobility is the concern, the Ministry of road transport and Highways (MoRTH) is increasing the design speed of the roads in the country, he added.

Sarangi also said road safety audit is being mandated at every stage of road construction including the operational stage but still road accidents are rising.

"Either our auditors are not capable or consultants are not as serious... So, the fatality rate is not coming down," he added.