Dear readers,
As the road network in our country expands and more vehicles are added to these roads, what concerns us the most is the increasing number of lives lost. India accounts for over 10% of road crash fatalities worldwide. In the year 2022 alone, we lost nearly 1.7 lakh people in road crashes. Over 67% of the lives lost were pedestrians, cyclists, and two-wheeler riders.
Roads are often looked at as an indicator of development, but the question is development for whom? Does it prioritize people, or just the sheer number of growing vehicles? It’s time to bring back the focus on human lives, safety, and sustainability.
We are pleased to share with you the recent landmark Supreme Court judgment that reaffirms the constitutional right to pedestrian footpaths, reinforcing that our roads must prioritize people above all else. We welcomed this judgment during the UN Global Road Safety Week — this year’s theme being ‘Make Walking and Cycling Safer.’
In this issue of RoadSense, we reiterate our commitment as a network to ensure mobility that is safe and inclusive of all. One such coordinated action that we are focused on is advocating to close critical gaps in the Motor Vehicles Act. Strengthening policies on road safety will ensure that India’s safe systems are aligned with global best practices needed to achieve a 50% reduction in road crash fatalities by 2030.
Through the voices of our Road Safety Network partners, working in various states across India, we hope to see progress through structural improvements in policies, effective implementation, and enforcement of laws on the ground! Read further to know more about initiatives that have been undertaken.
With commitment to safer roads,
Road Safety Network