A total of 19 deaths were reported per hour due to road accidents in India in 2022. Of these, six were people who were not wearing helmets on two-wheelers and two were not using seatbelts in four-wheelers, according to official numbers.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) published its annual report on ‘Road Accidents in India-2022’.
As per the report, a total of 4,61,312 road accidents have been reported by states and union territories during the calendar year 2022, which claimed 1,68,491 lives and caused injuries to 4,43,366 persons. This marks an increase of 11.9% in accidents, 9.4% in fatalities, and 15.3% in injuries compared to the previous year.
The data shared by the Ministry claimed that non-usage of safety devices such as helmets and seatbelts are critical for averting fatal and grievous injuries in the event of road occurrence accidents. Helmets are mandatory for all motorists on two-wheelers, barring few exemptions. Similarly, for four-wheelers, a seatbelt is mandatory.
“During 2022, a total of 50,029 persons who were not wearing helmets, were killed, of which 35,692 (71.3%) persons were drivers and 14,337 (28.7%) were passengers. Similarly, during the same period, 16,715 persons were killed who were not wearing seat belts, including 8,384 (50.2%) drivers and remaining 8,331 (49.8%) were passengers,” the report said.
Further, over 1.01 lakh persons who got injured in road accidents were not wearing helmets and 42,303 persons injured in road accidents were not using seatbelts in 2022.
In total, out of the 1.68 lakh road accident deaths, around 45% — 74,897 persons — were on two-wheelers. This has increased by 7.9% in 2022 compared to 2021.
Pedestrians are the next highest victim of road accident death with a share of 19.5 percent in 2022 (32,825 deaths).
The report underscores the urgency of adopting a comprehensive approach to address the contributing factors to these accidents, including speeding, reckless driving, drunken driving, and non-compliance with traffic regulations.
It states it is crucial to strengthen enforcement mechanisms, enhance driver education and training programs, and invest in improving the condition of roads and vehicles.
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