New crash rating system can improve road safety

After 1991 with liberalisation, the safety standards of vehicles have improved, as has road quality

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But the recent high-speed crash on the Sohna-Dausa highway with two fatalities is a reminder that while roads are vital arteries of our geographically diverse nation, connecting communities, driving commerce, and allowing citizens to exercise a variety of rights, road safety challenges remain.

In 2016, a landmark verdict by the Supreme Court in SaveLIFE Foundation v. Union of India recognised the right to safety of passengers on the road as part of the Right to Life (Article 21) under the Constitution.

With rapid urbanisation and mushrooming vehicle numbers, India faces a daunting challenge in ensuring road safety. Vehicle manufacturers have, in the past, often paid lip service to safety. Seat belts are crucial, but vehicle design safety has to be ensured to contain injuries in road crashes.

The consequences of road crashes can be irreversible for victims with injuries and fatalities, and strike at an individual's right to life and health. In 2020, this stark fact hit home when a family member of this author suffered injuries when a speeding dumper rammed into his Uber, barely 2km from the residence in early morning on Delhi's tony Lodhi Road.