Poor Civil Engineering Practices, Faulty DPRs Behind Surge In Road Accidents In India: Gadkari

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has blamed civil engineers, consultants, and flawed detailed project reports (DPRs) for India's rising road accidents and fatalities.

Speaking at the Global Road Infratech Summit & Expo (GRIS) on Thursday, Gadkari emphasised that small civil mistakes and poor road designs were leading to a surge in accidents, yet no one was being held accountable.

"It is not good for us that, in India, we are facing a lot of crucial problems regarding road accidents. Every year, we have 4 lakh 80 thousand road accidents and 1 lakh 80 thousand deaths, probably the highest in the world. Out of these deaths, 66.4 per cent per cent are in the age group of 18 to 45, and there is a 3 per cent loss in GDP. The loss of young people who are doctors, engineers, and, very importantly, talented youths is actually a great loss for our country," Gadkari was quoted as saying by India Today.

Directly blaming the civil engineers for the poor planning and design of roads, Gadkari stated, "The most important culprits in all these accidents are civil engineers. I don't blame everybody, but after 10 years of experience, I have come to this conclusion. The most important culprits are those who are making the DPR (Detailed Project Report), and there are thousands of mistakes. I'm of the view that an FIR should be registered against the people making these reports," he said.

Gadkari pointed out that India sees 4,80,000 road accidents every year, resulting in 1,80,000 deaths and around 4,00,000 serious injuries, with two-wheeler riders and pedestrians being the most affected.

These accidents contribute to an economic loss of 3 per cent to GDP, Gadkari noted.

The minister also criticised India's road signage and marking systems, calling them inadequate compared to countries like Spain, Austria, and Switzerland.

He urged the industry to adopt better technologies and sustainable construction materials to enhance road safety.

With road safety a top priority, the government aims to reduce accident rates by 50 per cent by 2030, he added.

He stressed the need for a joint effort between industry and government to enhance road infrastructure, implement stricter safety regulations, and reinforce emergency medical response systems.

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