Govt aims to reduce road accident rates by 50% by 2030: Nitin Gadkari

Gadkari called upon the road construction industry to develop strategies to enhance road safety by adopting newer technologies

NEW DELHI: Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said the government aims to reduce road accident rates by half by 2030 and said accidents contribute to an economic loss of 3% to GDP.

Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari held engineers largely responsible for the rise in road accidents due to poor planning and design of roads (PIB/)

“India witnessed 4,80,000 road accidents, 1,80,000 deaths, and about 4,00,000 serious injuries. Out of these 1,40,000 accident deaths are in the age of 18-45 years and affecting mostly two-wheeler riders and pedestrians,” Gadkari said citing the latest (2022) nationwide data.

The minister was speaking at the inauguration of two-day Global Road Infratech Summit & Expo (GRIS) in New Delhi.

Gadkari also highlighted the need for improved road safety measures and called upon the road construction industry to develop strategies to enhance road safety by adopting newer technologies and sustainable recyclable construction materials.

The minister also said that most crashes in India are due to poor civil engineering practices in road design, construction, and management and improper road signages and marking systems. He suggested that they can be rectified by emulating from what is being practiced in countries such as Spain, Austria and Switzerland.

Substandard detailed project reports (DPRs) also contributed to poor quality of roads, he said.

Stating that road safety is a top priority, the minister urged the industry to collaborate with governments in finding solutions to prevent road accidents, emphasising the importance of education in building safer infrastructure and promoting awareness on safer driving habits.