Union Minister of state for Ministry of Road transport and Highways and civil aviation, General V.K.Singh today asked the automakers to develop and bring in safer designs and features in the vehicles as part of an effort to reduce road accidents in the country .

While inaugurating Road Safety conference on the theme ‘Safer & Sustainable Mobility with Innovations & Technology’ organised by business body ASSOCHAM here today, he said, “Automobile makers should come forward in the initiative for reducing road crashes. There should be research and innovation as vehicles should have adequate safety features for reducing road accident fatalities.”

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“India accounts between 1.35 -1.50 Lakh road accident fatalities each year with young people losing life in maximum number which is worst than a war. The road safety awareness should be a 365 days affair and the Indian Corporate sector should encourage its members to adopt safe driving practices to minimise road accidents as road safety was a collective effort and should worked on ‘Janbhagidari‘ basis,” the minister said .

The minister enumerated the myriad steps taken by the government to reduce road fatalities including improving road engineering and delegating powers at lowest level to improve roads and remove engineering faults.

India accounts for more than 11 per cent of total global road accidents and is signatory to UN declaration to reduce 50% road accidents by the year 2030.

“International Road Federation (IRF) as part of its effort to reduce road accident deaths is focusing on E’s of road safety including Engineering, Vehicle Engineering , Education, enforcement and Emergency care “ said K K Kapila, President Emeritus, International Road Federation (IRF) a global road safety body while delivering the keynote address at the conference.

Kapila said that India chapter of IRF as part of its initiative to reduce accidents has chosen seven worst affected highway stretches of 150-200 kms each in the 7 States with highest road accidents, namely, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Kerala and Karnataka.

The objective of the exercise is to transform these highway stretches, in association with the State Governments, into forgiving roads with almost zero fatalities and serious injuries, he said.