Road Safety Network launches solution-focused report calling for policy amendments to ensure 50% fewer fatalities by 2030

• Officials from Transport department, health and education agencies and road safety experts meet for policy amendment discussions ahead of World Day of Remembrance
• With 1 death every 3 minutes, experts urge data-driven, system-wide reforms to make India’s roads safer
• RSN whitepaper highlights 4.8 lakh crashes and calls for a National Road Safety Mission to ensure 50% fewer fatalities by 2030

India, November 13, 2025: The Road Safety Network (RSN) — a coalition of civil society organisations working to reduce road crash fatalities and promote safer mobility in India — hosted a virtual Dialogue on Road Safety: Exploring Systemic Gaps and Policy Solutions” to address India’s rising road fatalities and highlight evidence-based interventions for safer roads.

The dialogue also marked the launch of RSN’s solution focused whitepaper, “Solving India’s Road Safety Crisis with Data-Backed, Scientific, and Evidence-Based Solutions.” The whitepaper outlines a clear roadmap to reduce road fatalities by 50% by 2030 through data-led governance, better road design, and stronger institutional accountability.

The session brought together leading voices including Prof. (Dr.) Bhargab Maitra (IIT Kharagpur), Prof. (Dr.) Sikdar (Advisor, Indian Roads Congress), Mr. Ravishankar (Road Safety Expert, CUMTA), Dr. Ganapathy Malarvazhi (Anna University), Ranjit Gadgil (Parisar), and Dr. Ashwini Bagga (Department of Transport and Road Safety, Government of Rajasthan).

According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), India recorded 4,80,583 road crashes and 1,72,890 deaths in 2023, accounting for nearly 11 percent of global fatalities despite owning just 1 percent of the world’s vehicles. Experts at the dialogue agreed that such numbers point to predictable and preventable causes rooted in weak enforcement, unsafe design, and lack of coordinated governance.

Prof. (Dr.) Sikdar, Advisor to the Indian Roads Congress (IRC), said “We must follow Safe System Approach rigorously and completely to reduce road fatalities in a targeted and time bound manner. Also, safety of Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs) will need a high level of passion and commitment from Policy Makers, Planners and Engineers to develop and protect the facilities built for VRUs as part of road network from undue encroachments and misuse.”

Prof. (Dr.) Bhargab Maitra, IIT Kharagpur and Member of Road Safety Network, who moderated the discussion, said “The larger reality of Indian roads, traffic, road users, availability of land and land uses must be recognized to bring changes in road design to make roads safer for all users. We must follow the Safe System Approach and give high priority on Speed Management to reduce road fatalities in a time bound manner”.

Mr. Ravishankar, Road Safety Expert, CUMTA, said, “Reducing Road fatalities in the Chennai Metropolitan Area requires a systemic approach grounded in data, enforcement, and engineering. CUMTA recommends three immediate priorities — improving the quality of police accident data and reporting for better cause analysis; ensuring stricter compliance with helmet use under the Motor Vehicles Act through education and enforcement; and holding road-owning agencies accountable for adhering to safety engineering standards under IRC 35, 67, and 103 through regular audits. Together, these measures can create safer roads and save countless lives.”

The RSN whitepaper highlights five urgent priorities to make India’s roads safer.

• Launch of a National Road Safety Mission (NRSM): To coordinate action across ministries and states, ensuring unified and sustained implementation of safety measures.
• Adoption of Scientific Speed Management Norms: To align speed limits with road design, function, and human safety parameters.
• Legally Binding State Action Plans: To establish accountability, monitor performance, and ensure measurable progress in reducing road crashes and fatalities.

Emphasising the need to protect vulnerable road users — pedestrians, cyclists, and two-wheeler riders — who make up nearly 68 percent of all road deaths, the whitepaper calls for safer street design, improved lighting, and stricter enforcement of helmet and seat belt laws. It also recommends modernising India’s crash data system through real-time platforms like e-DAR, enabling evidence-based planning and transparent policy documentation.

Experts noted that road crashes drain 3–5% of India’s GDP annually, with the greatest impact on low-income families. As India observes the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on November 16, road safety experts urged policymakers to make road safety a national development priority rooted in data, design, and accountability.