This initiative comes as a response to the growing concerns over the quality of helmets available in the market and their critical role in safeguarding lives on the road, the Department of Consumer Affairs said on Saturday.
Addressing the 12th edition of the Traffic InfraTech Expo here, Gadkari underscored the alarming statistics of road accidents in India, noting that the country experiences around 5 lakh accidents each year, resulting in numerous fatalities.
Officials here said on Saturday that the Road Safety Fortnight would be observed in all districts with inter-departmental coordination from April 22 to May 4.
A quiz competition based on road safety and traffic rules was also organized and the winners were felicitated by the police.
Fatalities in road accidents reduced by 17 per cent in five years.
A project, ‘Intelligent Solutions for Road Safety through Technology and Engineering’ (iRASTE), has been launched to identify potential accident-causing scenarios while driving a vehicle and alert drivers about the same with the help of the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS).
Speaking at a Press conference on the automobile safety ecosystem in India, he said all efforts should be made to reduce road accidents by 50 per cent by the year 2025.
Keeping in view the fog during the winter season, Garg directed all agencies to make the speed breakers properly, get their marking done and also install reflector tapes on all the transport vehicles.
“Many road accidents take place due to human error. Besides, improvement in the construction of roads could prevent road accidents. Road safety is not just a month-long programme but is an awareness campaign that continues throughout life,” he added.
As per the data, 5194 accidents were registered in the year 2020 while 3866 people lost their lives in road accidents in the same year.
