Bosch has released India’s first comprehensive study analysing pedestrian behaviour in the country during the seventh UN Global Road Safety Week. The report reveals that pedestrian crashes are a major safety concern in India, with about one in every ten traffic-related fatalities in the country being a pedestrian.
In 2021, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) registered 68,053 pedestrian crashes, contributing to 16.5% of the total accidents.
Shockingly, India's 2021 pedestrian fatalities numbered 29,200, exceeding the combined road fatalities of the European Union and Japan, with another 60,000 pedestrians injured. Further, 99% of pedestrians are susceptible to injury.
Every second pedestrian accident on rural roads contributes to pedestrian fatality. However, in urban and semi-urban areas, the fatality risk of pedestrians is relatively lower than rural roads.
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Difference Between East & West
The Bosch report also found that human error is the leading contributor to pedestrian accidents in India, followed by infrastructure and vehicle-related factors.
One unique behaviour in Indian accidents observed by the report is where close to 12% of pedestrians cross halfway and stop in the middle of the road to allow the vehicle to move on the other lane. In the Western world, the driver stops the vehicle and allows the pedestrian to cross; in India, pedestrians stop and allow the vehicle to pass.
Daytime accidents are a bigger threat to Indian pedestrians than night-time accidents - 52% of accidents occur during the day. There can be no 'one reason' for pedestrian accidents. Each accident has a multi-level contributing factor from humans, infrastructure, vehicles, or all combined. Human error contributed 91%, infrastructure 63%, and vehicles 44%.
Girikumar Kumaresh, Principal Advisor - Road Safety, Future Mobility & Expert Accident Research, Bosch India, said, “Our report on Indian pedestrian behaviour sheds light on the contributing factors to pedestrian accidents and highlights the need for effective road safety measures and a multi-dimensional approach to improve traffic safety in India. As individuals, we must also prioritise safety by following traffic rules and being vigilant on the roads.”