Road Safety and Accident Prevention-An Indian Perspective

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1 Road Safety and Accident Prevention-An Indian Perspective Sharma N #1,Jha S #2, Verma A #3,Gura P #4 B.Tech. Department of Civil Engineering Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal. Abstract Research and Development is an important part of safety work and should be incorporated into road safety programs. This research aims to improve knowledge about factors contributing to road crashes, effects of different countermeasures, and development of new and more effective safety measures. It forms the framework of knowledge against which better policy and resource allocation decisions can be made to ensure most effective use of available resources. Keywords- Road safety audit, fatalities, pedestrians, remedies I. INTRODUCTION Motor vehicle population has grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10 percent , during fuelled by a rising tide of motorization. Concomitantly, traffic risk and exposure have grown. During the year 2010, there were around 5 lakh road accidents, which resulted in deaths of 134,513 people and injured more than 5 lakh persons in India. These numbers translate into 1 road accident every minute and 1 road accident death every four minutes. The incidence of accidental deaths has shown a increasing trend during the decade with an increase of 50% in the year 2010 as compared to 2000.A total of 3, 84,649 accidental deaths were reported in the country during 2010 (27,628) more than such deaths reported in 2009) showing an increase of 7.7% as compared to previous year. Correspondingly, 1.4% increase in the population and 6.2% increase in the rate of Accidental Deaths were reported during this year as compared to previous year. II. LITERATURE REVIEW Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety says Each year nearly 1.3 million people die as a result of a road traffic collision.90% of road traffic deaths occur in low and middle income countries, which claim less than half the world's registered vehicle fleet. Road traffic injuries are among the three leading causes of death for people between 5 and 44 years of age. Dinesh Mohan (2009) concludes that Road traffic fatalities have been increasing at about 8% annually for the last ten years and show no signs of decreasing. Two modelling exercises have attempted to predict the time period when we might expect fatality rates to start to decline in a range of countries. Cropper and Kopits predicted that fatalities in India would reach a total of about 198,000 before starting to decline in 2042 and Koornstra predicted an earlier date of 2030 for the peak traffic fatalities in India. If we assume that the present growth rate of 8% per year declines in a linear manner to 0% by 2030, then we can expect about 260,000 fatalities by 2030.resulting in an estimated 2.4 million deaths each year. III. SOME TRENDS IN NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS, INJURIES AND FATALITIES The number of total accidents reported in 2010 was 499,628. After a moderate increase of 0.35% during 2009, the number of accidents reported during 2010 showed a growth of 2.72 % as compared with accidents reported in the year The number of persons killed increased by 7 per cent during 2010 in comparison to 4.8 per cent during The number of persons injured which had recorded a decline of 1.5 per cent during 2009, increased by 2.3 per cent during The total number of road accidents, injuries and deaths increased at CAGR of 2.5%, 2.8% and 5.5%, respectively, between the years 2000 and IV. PROFILE OF ROAD ACCIDENTS A During 2010, 499,628 road accidents were reported by all States/ Union Territories (UTs), of these, about 23.9% 12

2 (119,558) were fatal accidents. The number of persons killed in road accidents was 134,513, i.e. an average of one fatality per 3.7 accidents. Figure 1: Total Number of RTA, Persons Killed and Persons injured during The proportion of fatal accidents in total road accidents has consistently increased since 2001 from 17.6% to 23.9% in The severity of road accidents, measured in terms of persons killed per 100 accidents, has also increased from 19.9 in 2001 to 26.9 in 2010 V. NORMALIZED INDICATORS of RTA, INJURIES & FATALITIES: All India Averages To get an appropriate measure of incidence of accidents, normalized/standardized accident rates for India have been worked out in terms of number of accidents Per lakh persons, Per ten thousand motor vehicles and Per ten thousand kilometers of road length. Some of the broad trends at the all-india level are summarized below. Number of accidents per lakh population increased from 21.2 in 1970 to 22.8 in 1980, followed by a sharp increase to 33.8 in Between 1995 and 2005, the figures fluctuated in the range of 38 to 40; moving above 42 in recent years (2007 and 2008); a slight dip to 41.9 in 2009, followed by a rise to 42.5 in Between 1970 and 2010, there was an increase of more than 100%. Figure 2: Number of Road accidents per lakh population A significant decline in the number of accidents per ten thousand motor vehicles is discernible from 814 in 1970, 339 in 1980, 148 in 1990, 80 in 2000 and further to 42 in 2009 i.e. decline of almost 95 % since Figure3: Number of accident per ten thousand vehicles The trend in the number of accidents per ten thousand kilometres of the road length shows that the number of accidents has increased over the last few decades, from 960 in 1970 to 1,027 in 1980; peaked to 1,424 in 1990; but declined thereafter, fluctuating within a band of 1,100 to 1,200 per ten thousand kilometres. There has been more than three-fold increase in the number of persons injured per lakh of population from 13 in 1970 to 44.8 in Similarly, persons killed per lakh of population jumped four-fold from 2.7 in 1970 to 11.4 in \ Figure 4: Number of persons injured per lakh population As regards number of persons injured per 10,000 vehicles the decline has been dramatic. To some extent, the decline in this parameter has been brought about by improvements in vehicle crashworthiness and occupant protection. The number of persons injured per 10,000 vehicles has plummeted from 500 in 1970 to about 45 in It is noteworthy that this parameter has consistently declined since 1996 despite sustained high growth in vehicle population. Similarly, the number of persons killed per 10,000 vehicles in the country has also fallen from about 104 in 1970 to less than 11 in The number of persons injured per ten thousand kilometres of road length has more than doubled since 1970.In developing countries, lack of foot- paths, service lanes, cycle tracks, traffic calming measures to reduce speed where non 13

3 motorized mode of transport blend with motorized traffic, increases the risk. Table provides a share of top five States in India in total number of road accidents, persons killed and persons injured in road accidents in the backdrop of their share in India s motor vehicle population. Figure 5: Number of persons injured per ten thousand vehicles These factors have contributed towards increase in road related accidents, injuries and deaths in relation to rise in terms of road length. The numbers of persons injured per ten thousand kilometres of road length have risen from 590 in 1970 to 1,273 in 2008 similarly persons killed per ten thousand kilometres of road length more than doubled from 122 in 1970 to 292 in However, both these parameters have witnessed ups and downs over the last decade. VI. INCIDENCE OF ROAD ACCIDENTS, INJURIES AND DEATHS: STATES & UT s Inter-State/UT comparisons of accident related data need to be viewed keeping in view the differences in road network, state of roads, size of human and vehicular population, levels of urbanization and accident reporting systems. These parameters have implications for accident rates across the States. Incidence of accidents normalized in terms of road length, human population or vehicle population provides comparable accident data across States and UTs. The number of road accidents per lakh of population at all-india level has slightly edged up from about 39.8 in 2004 to 42.5 in 2010, with wide variations among States. During 2010, the number of road accidents per lakh of population was highest in Goa (267), followed by Puducherry (115) in contrast to a low of 1.6 reported by Nagaland. Table 1: Road Accidents: Inter State Comparisons Figure 6: Number of road accident per lakh population state wise during 2010 The number of persons injured per lakh of population at all-india level due to road accidents has increased from about 42 in year 2005 to about 44.8 in 2010 with significant inter-state variations. Goa and Kerala had the highest number of persons injured per lakh of population at 158 and 121, respectively, in 2010, followed by Puducherry at 113. Lakshadweep, Nagaland respectively. Number of deaths per lakh of population due to road accidents has risen from 8.6 during 2005 to 11.4 during 2010 with significant variation across States. The highest number of persons killed per lakh of population in 2010 on account of road accidents were in Tamil Nadu (23) followed by Goa (19.1), and Haryana (18.9). On the other hand, Lakshadweep did not report any persons killed in road accidents during 2010, while Nagaland reported 1.8 persons killed The all-india average of road accidents per ten thousand vehicles has consistently declined over the years and fallen to about 42 in 2009 with variations across the 14

4 States/UTs. For the year 2009, Sikkim had the highest number of road accidents per 10,000vehicle population at about 198 followed by Arunachal Pradesh at 139. Similarly, the number of persons injured due to road accidents per 10,000 vehicles has consistently fallen over the years from 500 in 1970 to 45 in 2009 with variation across States/UTs. For the year 2009, Arunachal Pradesh had the highest number of persons injured per 10,000 vehicles at around 240, followed by Sikkim at 152. The number of persons killed due to road accidents per 10,000 vehicles shows a steep fall from 28 in 1990 to 10.9 in 2009 with variation across the States. In terms of fatalities, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim had the highest road related accident deaths per ten thousand vehicles at 72 and 31, respectively, during VII. SEVERITY OF ROAD ACCIDENTS ACROSS STATES/UT s An interesting fact which can be seen is that while the state of Nagaland had very low figures of number of accidents and number of persons killed per lakh population and per ten thousand motor vehicles, the severity of road accidents was the highest for Nagaland. The second highest State in terms of severity of road accidents was Mizoram, with nearly 66 people being killed per 100 accidents. Table 2: Severity of Road Accidents in India (State/UT-wise): VIII. ACCIDENTS IN TERMS OF CLASSIFICATION OF ROADS National Highways accounted for 30% in total road accidents and 36.0% in total number of persons killed in State Highways accounted for 24.5% of total accidents and a share of 27.3% in the total number of persons killed in road accidents in Highways permit greater speed resulting in relatively greater number of road accidents and fatalities. Table 3: Number of RTA and Persons Killed and Injured as per Type of Road In 2010, the total number of accidents that occurred in rural areas was more than that in the urban areas; the former accounting for 53.2% (265,871) and the latter accounting for 46.8% (233,757) of total accidents. Rural areas also had more fatalities (60.6%) than urban areas (39.4%). Figure 7: Accidents in terms of involvement by Vehicle type IX. TIME OF OCCURRENCE OF ROAD ACCIDENTS For framing strategies for prevention and for organization of care of accident victims, information on timing of accidents is a prerequisite. During 2010 the slots with high rates of road accidents were 15:00 18:00 hours, 09:00 12:00 hours and 18:00 21:00 hours (Figure 3.20). The distribution of the total accidents during night time (6 PM to 6 AM) and day time (6 AM to 6 PM) is approximately in the ratio of 2:3 i.e. about 40 per cent during night time and 60 per cent during daytime. 15

5 Figure 8: Distribution of total number of Road Accidents as per the Time of Occurrence 2010) Figure 10: Causes of road accident 2010 XI. BHOPAL PERSPECTIVE Figure 9: Age Profile of Accident Victims (Other than Drivers) X. CAUSES OF ROAD ACCIDENTS The analysis of road accidents in terms of causal factors reveals that drivers fault is the single most important factor responsible for accidents, fatalities and injuries. Drivers fault accounted for 78.0 % (389,885 accidents) of total accidents; 74.6 % (100,319) of the total number of persons killed and 79.8 % (420,823) of the total number of persons injured in road accidents during The fault of the cyclists and that of the pedestrians appears to be of a marginal consequence accounting for a share of 1.2 % and 2.7 %, respectively in road accidents during Similarly, cyclists and pedestrians were responsible for about 1.3 % and 2.6 %, respectively, of total number of persons killed in road accidents. Defects in the motor vehicles caused 1.7 % of road accidents and 2.3 % of fatalities in road accidents. Intake of alcohol / drugs by drivers resulted in 31,000 road accidents and 9,976 fatalities. As a proportion of total accidents and deaths due to drivers fault, intake of alcohol/drugs accounted for 8.0 per cent and 9.9 per cent, respectively. Overloading/overcrowding of vehicles accounted for 109,357 road accidents and 31,974 road deaths. As a share of total road accidents and deaths, these figures constituted 21.9 per cent and 23.8 per cent, respectively. Figure 11: Number of Accidents Classified to Month Wise of the Year 2008 (Source: Police Head Quarter Bhopal) XII. ACCIDENTS CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO ROAD FEATURES IN BHOPAL It can be seen from the table that single lanes are more susceptible to accidents in Bhopal. Table 4:Accidents classification in Bhopal, lanes wise. (Source: Police Head Quarter Bhopal) 16

6 XII. ACCIDENTS CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO LOCATION IN BHOPAL The figure indicates that locations near a village, near petrol pump, near a factory or near bazar are more accident prone locations. The probable causes of accidents at these locations may be due to over speeding and unrestricted speed near villages/ petrol pumps/ factory/markets/schools etc. The probable reasons may be presence of sharp curve, in adequate super elevation, extra widening, inadequate carriageway width, insufficient sight distance etc. This trend is also clearly indicated in Figure. Figure 12: Accident Classified According to Location (Source: Police Head Quarter Bhopal) XIII. ACCIDENT PREVENTION AND REMEDIES India witnessed one road accident every minute in 2011 which claimed one life every 3.7 minutes, one of the highest in the world. Among the states, Maharashtra topped the list with the highest number of road accidents at 68,438 followed by Tamil Nadu (65,873), Madhya Pradesh (49,406), Karnataka (44,731) and Andhra Pradesh (44,165) It s a worrying trend. We need to further step up efforts to bring down the number of road accidents. The present traffic condition in India is alarming and there is an urgent need for better, In another disturbing trend, of the total number of road accidents, 53.5% were reported from rural areas, reflecting a rising tide of motorisation in rural India. Compared to this urban areas reported 46.5% of the total number of road accidents MAJOR CAUSES OF ROAD ACCIDENTS: 1. Driver behavior 2. Over speeding 3. Driver s error 4. Drugs alcohol. 5. Impaired driver: fatigue 6. Vehicle related 7. Environment around the road 8. Road related defects Dangerous road location. Lack of pedestrians Poor rescue system Improper traffic management Poor curves Unavailability of signals and signboards. REMEDIES For this to be done we need to consider certain aspects in our mind: Identifying Accident prone area: Highway engineers and traffic police generally know of the tendency for road accidents to cluster together at certain locations, commonly termed 'accident blackspots'. The straightforward process of plotting accidents on maps reveals this and this method remains an important means of identifying accident black-spots in many countries. Reasonably accurate and complete records are essential for this. Without precise location data, accidents cannot be plotted with any certainty, although in the total absence of data - or during an interim period while data are being collected - it may be possible to make a start on remedial works at 'known' black-spots, based on local knowledge of sites where accidents occur most frequently. It is preferable, however, to identify black-spots in an objective way using accident records. The cost of accidents to the community is calculated by the department for transport. The costs are based on emergency services, hospital cost, cost production, property damage and an allowance for pain, grief and suffering. This last element is calculated on willingness to pay. The measure which we are considering must be low cost so it would be more preferable. There is a need to identify the cause accidents, preventive action in terms of vehicle, driver and engineering factors. List of safety factor in vehicle design (e.g. seatbelts, air bags, collapsible steering, braking performance etc.) For effectiveness of safety of road accidents we need to consider both the things in our mind basic strategies and technical consideration. For both the above we need to consider following points: EDUCATION Awareness campaign through print & electronic media, organization of road safety week, distribution of road safety awards, seminars, engagement with schools and universities Driving training, refresher training, training to trainers Improvements in issue of driving license 17

7 ENGINEERING Road Safety Audit: Identification and remedy of black spots Making road safety an integral part of design to enhance safety of Vulnerable Road Users Ensuring fitness of vehicles: Automated Inspection & Certification Centers For ensuring the safety on roads the basic need is road signs so the points which need to be consider while installing them are: LOCATION OF ROAD SIGNS Left side of the road On multilane road repeated on other side of the road On wide carriageway overhead signs are also used Warning signs in urban areas are located 50 m in advance On hilly roads signs are installed on valley side Road Markings are there to discipline the motorist and pedestrian while on the road. They are broadly categorised in two parts : 1. Carriageway markings: marking made on road 2. Object marking: marking made on objects like trees, stones etc. NIGHT DRIVING AIDS Reflectorized paint Use of glass beads Cats eye reflecting road studs GUIDELINES FOR DESIGN CRASH-PROTECTIVE ROADSIDES Designing roads without dangerous roadside objects Introducing a clear zone at the side of the road Designing roadside objects so that they are more forgiving Protecting roadside objects with barriers to absorb part of the impact energy. XIV. CONCLUSION As seen from the above facts and figures, it is clear that stringent measures are required to prevent and subside the causes of road accidents.improving the walking lanes for pedestrians and properly channelizing the road traffic can efficiently solve this problem to a greater extent. Also implementing the traffic rules fairly in accordance with the authorities would prove to be beneficial. XIII. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We express our deep sense of gratitude to our faculty advisor, Asst. Prof. Siddhartha Rokade, Department of Civil Engineering, Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal, for providing us the opportunity to carry out this momentous work, under his guidance. We are highly thankful to him for providing us his invaluable time, continuous support and encouragement in completing this work. It is his dedicated efforts which made us to learn the various practical aspects of intersection design. We also wish to avail ourselves of this opportunity in expressing a deep sense of gratitude to our beloved parents as well as our friends for their direct and indirect help. XIV. REFERENCES 1. Kadiyali L.R, Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning, Khanna Publishers, New Delhi, Transport Accident Act /, Accessed 27 August Road Safety in India: Challenges and Opportunity, Dinesh Mohan; UMTRI FARS [Fatality Analysis Reporting System] (2010). FARS encyclopedia. 5. Government of India. (2006). Automotive mission plan Cropper, M. and Kopits, E. (2005). Traffic fatalities and economic growth. Accident analysis and Prevention. 7. ROAD STATISTICS OF INDIA, PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS : SB Dikshit, State Quality Monitor, U.P.R.R.D.A GUIDELINES FOR SAFETY AUDITS OF NEW TRANSPORT PROJECT AT VARIOUS STAGES The feasibility study of the project The draft design The detailed design Before the project becomes operational A few months after the project is operational 18