Delhi tops India's fatal accident list

International Road Federation (IRF), a global body for promoting and advocating safe road developments, will soon place proposals to the union ministry of transport in a bid to reduce the rate of road fatalities in the country.

International Road Federation (IRF), a global body for promoting and advocating safe road developments, will soon place proposals to the union ministry of transport in a bid to reduce the rate of road fatalities in the country. India accounts for 10% of the 13 lakh road accident deaths world wide every year.

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The proposals will include changes in the Motor Vehicles Act and road safety through engineering measures.

About 400 eminent road safety transportation experts from more than 20 countries will take part in a two-day global meet here from November 25.

"We will prepare the proposals and forward the same to the government," said KK Kapila, chairman of the IRF.

"World wide governments are working on reducing fatal accidents and Europeans countries have been successful, while in developing countries, including India, fatal road accidents are on constant increase," Kapila said.

"A session would also be devoted to road safety in Metro cities, including Delhi, as maximum number of fatal accidents take place in Delhi."

Recently, the ministry of road transport and highways and the IRF had launched an initiative in to reduce fatal road accidents in India by 50% by 2012.

Some of the subjects to be discussed at the meet include institutional coordination for road safety, dedicated road safety fund, changes in the Motor Vehicles Act, vehicle design for safety, road safety through engineering measures, etc.

The speakers will include Delhi chief secretary Rakesh Mehta, NHAI chairman Brajeshwar Singh, Delhi special commissioner of police (traffic) Ajay Chadha, Bangalore additional commissioner of police (traffic) Praveen Sood.