India accounts for 11% of global road fatalities, despite having just 1% of world's vehicles

He has recently been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for his exceptional service to public safety.

- RITWIK MUKHERJEE

He has recently been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for his exceptional service to public safety. An approved Driving Instructor, trainer, and mentor, Sanjib Bhattacharjee, a British-Indian road safety advocate, has spent decades shaping national conversations on safe driving and lifelong learning. His campaigns—POWER and eco-safe driving—are now gaining traction across India, offering scalable, community-driven solutions to a national crisis.

Speaking to The Statesman, Sanjib Bhattacharjee decodes his strategies, campaigns and explains why India should treat road safety as a moral imperative, reflecting how a nation should value life, dignity, and shared progress.

Excerpts:

Q: What is the magnitude of India's road safety problems even after 79 years of Independence?

A: India is on the move—economically, technologically, and diplomatically. Yet one of its most urgent and overlooked challenges continues to claim lives every hour: road safety.

With nearly 480,000 accidents and over 180,000 deaths annually, India accounts for approximately 11 percent of global road fatalities, despite having just 1 percent of the world's vehicles. These numbers are not just statistics; they represent lives lost, families shattered, and futures cut short. The time has come to treat road safety education not as a peripheral concern, but as a national imperative.

The scale of the crisis is staggering. Every four minutes, a life is lost on Indian roads. The economic impact is equally severe, costing the country an estimated 3 to 5 percent of its GDP annually. This burden falls disproportionately on working-age citizens, affecting productivity, healthcare systems, and family stability. Yet the solution is within reach—and it begins with education.

Q: You often advocate what you call "defensive driving." Can you throw some light on this?