Report highlights the severe public health and socio-economic challenges posed by road accidents in India, affecting the country's youth and productive workforce.

Causes of Road Accidents 

• Human Error: Over-speeding caused 70.3% of road deaths; hit-and-run cases accounted for 19.2% of fatalities, along with wrong-side and drunken driving.
• Safety Violations: Non-use of helmets and seatbelts led to over 54,000 and 14,000 deaths respectively.
• Unqualified Driving: About 10.6% of accidents involved drivers without a valid licence or holding only a learner’s licence.
• Road & Vehicle Factors: High-speed open areas, unsafe road features (crossings, curves, potholes), overloaded vehicles, and unfit old vehicles significantly contributed to accidents.

Government Initiatives

• Engineering & Vehicle Safety: Implementation of Bharat New Car Assessment Program (BNCAP) and mandatory safety features such as airbags, ABS, seat-belt reminders, and reverse parking alerts.
• Emergency Care & Compensation: Cashless Treatment Scheme, 2025 provides up to ₹1.5 lakh for treatment within 7 days; hit-and-run death compensation enhanced to ₹2 lakh.
• Enforcement & Digitization: Stricter penalties, eChallan–ITMS integration, and eDAR (Integrated Road Accident Database) for real-time accident reporting.
• Good Samaritan Protection: Rah-Veer Scheme offers legal protection and rewards up to ₹25,000 for helping accident victims.