Road Accident Survey Of India By WHO Reveals An Annual Death Rate Of 1.5 Lakh People

The death toll is in the rate of 22.6 lives per one lakh people; a severe figure compared to foreign countries. Road accidents are a common sight in India and there are multiple factors to blame for this — ranging from traffic discipline, carelessness, vehicle faults, drowsiness or even animal-crossing.

The high accident figures in India are also the reason why Global NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) has introduced the #SaferCarsForIndia project. Under the initiative, popular cars sold in India will be put to several crash tests. What's more! — the Tata Nexon has officially become the safest car in India!

Unlike in the past, Indian cars are giving more priority for safety rather than just pricing and fuel efficiency. Most of the new cars sold in India come with all the basic safety essentials such as dual airbags (as standard), ABS+EBD, ISOFIX child seat mounts and decent structural rigidity.

However, WHO claims that the next challenge for India is the implementation of Electronic Stability Control (ESC), even in the budget car segment. As per reports, 70 per cent of cars sold worldwide come with ESC, but 90 per cent of cars sold India do not have it.

It is still good to see that brands such as Tata Motors are considering safety as a key priority, even while offering all the expected needs. For instance, the recently-introduced Tata Harrier SUV (read our detailed review explaining everything), comes with a host of safety features, including Brake Disc Wiping!

There is a serious need to reduce the growing rate of accidents in India, as well as the world. Owing to this, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation shared, "These deaths are an unacceptable price to pay for mobility. There is no excuse for inaction. This is a problem with proven solutions. This report is a call for governments and partners to take much greater action to implement these measures."

Thoughts On The Rate Of Road Accidents In India

Road safety in India is still a far cry from what it is in many developed nations. However, authorities and responsible individuals are trying their best to make this better, and they have certainly made a difference in the past few years. In a country with a population of over 1.35 billion, high traffic and below-average road conditions, accident rates can be reduced, but not in a short period of time.