Recognising the role of specific stakeholders is important to bring down road fatalities, said Naveen Soni, President, Lexus India at the Mobility Outlook event, ‘Making Mobility Safe, Secure’ held in New Delhi on October 31. These stakeholders include OEMs, the Government, enforcement agencies, consumers and media.
Setting the tone, Rama Shankar Pandey, CEO, Tata Green Batteries, said that with almost 415 deaths each day due to road accidents India was practically losing a city every day. The country saw a jump of 16% in road accidents during FY22 and another 9% in the following fiscal. This goes on to show that while India is right there with the top countries when it comes to safety solutions, there is still a long way to go in reducing road deaths.
Soni said that while OEMs are working on many new safety technologies, it was also important to keep an eye on affordability especially in a country like India. Even though the Government is working on improving road conditions, a lot still needs to be done especially on the rural side.
However the biggest gap in the picture is from the law enforcement authorities which include vehicle testing agencies as well. Pandey pointed out that it is the implementation of those laws which remains a blind spot. Soni added that the number of vehicles on Indian roads made it difficult for agencies to enforce laws.
The Tata Batteries CEO said no matter how many new technologies are introduced in terms of safety, it is only enforcement that will compel consumers to use safety measures. With all these challenges, the agencies are continuously renewing their timelines in terms of reaching zero fatalities.
Adding to these challenges is the mindset of Indian consumers. Pandey pointed out that people generally associate road accidents with bad luck rather than mistakes. As per a research, around 77% of these accidents happen due to speeding and reckless driving. Easy access to driving licenses allows even a non-trained driver to get them, Soni added.
Sharing a personal experience he said Singapore has mapped out some Indian cities which have a poor record for driving licenses and the local Government is extra strict when it comes to handing them to people hailing from these regions.
Additionally, media too play a key role in making roads safer by creating awareness. In view of this, Club D2S, supported by Mobility Outlook has announced a new annual award - Deepangshu Dev Sarmah, Memorial Hall of Road Safety Award 2023 for raising voice on road safety by a journalist.
Road Ahead
A collaborative effort from all stakeholders will ensure that roads are safer, said Pandey. While OEMs are continuously working on newer safety solutions, it is important for them to look at those which go in hand with affordability. Meanwhile, consumers should get out from the destiny approach mindset and monitor their actions. From the enforcement agencies’ point of view, he added that it was important to look at safety aspects when working on sustainable goals, rather than just focusing on pollution being the only sustainable approach.
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