New Push For Safer Roads: Government Mulls District-Wise Road Safety Ratings

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Thursday (1 May) directed his ministry to rank districts in road safety parameters on Thursday (May 1), the Times of India reported.

The initiative, inspired by the Swachhata (cleanliness) rankings for cities, will evaluate and publicly recognise the best and worst-performing districts based on key safety parameters.

The directive came during a comprehensive day-long brainstorming session on road safety, attended by officials from various ministries, state governments, and subject-matter experts.

According to sources cited in the ToI report, the ministry will collaborate with NITI Aayog to finalise the evaluation parameters.

Gadkari instructed officials to incorporate 'safe school zones' in the planning and development of new roads and road expansion projects.

District Road Safety Committees (DRSCs) will ensure this component is included during project evaluations.

DRSCs will also play a pivotal role in executing key central schemes, such as providing cashless medical treatment for road accident victims and offering monetary incentives to good Samaritans (helpful persons) who help transport victims to hospitals.

Addressing a suggestion to include expert support for DRSCs, Road Transport Secretary V Umashankar noted that industry associations like CII and FICCI could assist in this effort.

Several Indian states already have their own targeted initiatives on road safety.

Maharashtra has allocated  Rs 150 crore to each district to bolster road safety infrastructure, including the deployment of CCTV surveillance and AI-powered monitoring systems as part of its e-enforcement strategy.

Rajasthan has established dedicated Road Safety Task Forces at the district level, aiming to halve road accidents and fatalities by 2030.

Jammu & Kashmir has introduced the Road Safety Policy 2025, which incorporates a comprehensive approach through the creation of a state road safety council and the implementation of a non-motorised transport policy.

Meanwhile, Visakhapatnam (Vizag) has emerged as a model for urban safety, achieving a 34.5 per cent reduction in road accidents in 2022 and earning the top spot among cities with populations exceeding 10 lakh.

Since 2021, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has had a “Scheme for grant of Award to the Good Samaritan who has saved life of a victim of a fatal accident involving a motor vehicle by administering immediate assistance and rushing to Hospital/Trauma Care Centre within the Golden Hour of the accident to provide medical treatment."

According to a government release, the amount of award for each Good Samaritan would be Rs 5,000 per incident.

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