Centre Fast-Tracks Highway Crash Audit Amid Grim Toll

The aim is to identify high-risk zones where safety measures have not been implemented

- Subhash Narayan

With over 20 people dying every hour on Indian roads, the Centre is fast-tracking an urgent audit of the country's accident-prone black spots by mid-July. These are typically stretches that have seen a large number of crashes or deaths over a three-year period.

Independent consultants and specialized agencies have been invited to conduct state-wise audits across India's 146,195-km national highway network, two officials familiar with the matter said.

The aim is to identify high-risk zones where safety measures have not been implemented, and to detect any new developments that have made them more dangerous, they said.

The push comes as public pressure has grown on road deaths. India recorded nearly 480,000 road accidents in 2023, leading to 180,000 deaths and around 400,000 serious injuries. That amounts to just over 20 fatalities every hour, and according to Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, spells a 3% loss to GDP.