Use of Road Accidents Data by Government

Stakeholders to reduce Road Accidents and ensure Road Safety – A study on Black Spot Management

RANJAN MUKHERJEEDirector (R/RT)

Transport Research WingMinistry of Road Transport and Highways

Introduction Transport Research Wing (TRW) of the Ministry of Road

Transport & Highways is the nodal agency which collects, compiles, analyses and disseminates data relating to roads & road transport, road accidents & road safety.

Data on road transport sectors including road accidents is collected from more than 250 source agencies across States and U.Ts.

The availability of relevant data for the whole country essentially depends on the efforts mobilised by States/U.Ts.

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Road Transport Sector – Source AgenciesDirector General/ Inspector General of Police of

States/ UTs and Superintendent of Police of major cities

State Transport Commissioners Office/ State Transport Departments

About 57 State Road Transport UndertakingsState Departments of FinanceSociety for Indian Automobile Manufacturers

(SIAM)Various Ministries/ Departments of Central

Governments and States3

Road Accident in IndiaTRW collects road accident data on a calendar year basis from Police

Departments of States/Union Territories (UTs) in 19 tables formats devised by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) for the Asia Pacific Road Accident Database (APRAD) project and publishes the data in this Ministry’s annual publication ‘Road Accidents in India’.  The publications can be accessed from the Ministry’s website at www.morth.nic.in under the head publication. 

The latest available issue covers information for the calendar year 2014. This publication contains state/UT-wise and selected city-wise data on various facets of road accidents in India including number of fatal accidents, number of persons killed and injured, major causes of road accidents in India, international comparison of road traffic injuries and deaths, road safety initiatives of the Government of India.

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Road SafetyRoad Safety is a multi-dimensional issue. It includes

modern traffic management system and practices including development of contemporary traffic rules, creating awareness and eagerness amongst the road users to follow traffic rules strictly.

It involves numerous Government Stakeholders at central as well as state level such as transport department, police(traffic) department , health department, education department, research and academic institutions and road construction authorities/departments etc.

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Use of Road Accidents Data:The main objective of collection of road accident data is to reduce road accidents, make roads safer for the users and hence to ensure road safety in the following ways: i. to pinpoint the black spots where maximum road accidents and deaths are occurring;ii. data on road accident black spots and high road accident prone road stretches can help us in planning and establishing various relevant facilities specially for road accident victims like hospitals, placement of ambulances near the identified black spots, deployment of traffic personnel and to take remedial rectification measures on priority basis.

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Contd…

iii. To get inputs for road safety research and evolving of better standards and guidelines for road safety.iv. To get inputs for adopting road related measures like design, setting standards and audit of the roads from the point of view of preventing road accidents and ensuring road safety.v. To get inputs for adopting measures for vehicle related measures like prescribing safety features, enforcing regulations etc.vi. To get information for assessing the need for better, relevant and contemporary laws, management and enforcement and to appropriately adopting them and deterring the irresponsible road user behaviour.

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Contd…

vii. Data can be used for creating public awareness, inculcating education about road safety and adherence to the traffic laws etc. For example, road accident deaths could have been avoided, if the driver is wearing helmet, putting on seat belts etc. viii. Data obtained/collected using intelligent transport system such as radar speed check devices, surveillance camera, GPS/GIS enabled accident management system, will help in strict enforcement against all traffic violations and in turn would induce better road user behaviour leading to reduction in road accidents and road safety.ix. It provides inputs for planning of a reliable & adequate public transport system what you badly need in India. x. Thus, data provides support for taking appropriate policies and implementing the same for the benefit of the target group/society.

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Making better use of the road accidents data :

We need improved Data collection methods, reporting and analysis structure and responsibilities. This will help us in taking prompt action to prevent road accidents and deaths. For example, we get timely data on the deteriorated road stretch in some areas, we can quickly arrange for the road repair and prevent/minimize road accidents and deaths.

Timely, updated and comprehensive data, managed through a modern and seamless database system, should be shared by the various Government Stakeholders viz. transport department, police, health department, research institutions, and road construction authorities/department etc. it will help in taking prompt and appropriate measures/actions by the various Government Stakeholders in tandem to prevent/mitigate road accidents and consequent fatalities. Moreover, it will also create a real time database and consequently a strong monitoring system.

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Contd…

Civil society stakeholders can contribute, particularly in the present age of social media, by providing information on roads, road users, behaviour patterns of road users, accident prone road stretches/areas etc. we need to capture this data/information in an institutionalized approach/mechanism. This will help the Government Stakeholders in getting the data, which is either not available with the Government Stakeholders or available very late. It will facilitate the Government Stakeholders in taking quick action for reducing accidents and ensure safety. For example, the data/information provided by the civil society volunteer about the road collapse or avalanches in a remote area, can help the Government Stakeholders in taking quick action to send the required manpower and machinery to take care of the situation.

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A Study on Black Spot Management

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Black SpotAt certain sites, the level of risk of road accidents is higher

than the general level of risk in surrounding areas. Crashes tend to be concentrated at these relatively high-risk locations. These locations with an abnormally high number of crashes are generally described as black spots.

The data/information on black spots are to be reported by the Police (traffic) departments of States/UTs to TRW of the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways as per the prescribed format.

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Why Black Spots?Data/information pertaining to the locations of identified black spots provide us the causes for appearing of such black spots: Excessive traffic, no sub-way, no Fly Over BridgeCurved and narrow road and no bypassesDensely populated area on both sides of the road and

heavy trafficBlind turns and damaged surface of roadsNarrow Bridge , Steep Slope and Curve .

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Contd…

Lack of traffic lights, traffic signals and barricades in between service roads and Highways

Careless , Rash and Drunken DrivingCongested road areasNarrow T and Y JunctionRural roads directly connecting to Highways

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Black Spot Management 13 major States which accounted for more than 85% of

road accidents have provided details of the top 25 black spots for 2011, 2012, 2013 in their respective States.

Black spots identified on the basis of 10 or more fatalities by Police Departments of the respective States/UTs have provided data for 2011, 2012 and 2013. The data/information has been collected on the location of accidents, nature of the roads (National Highways, State Highways and Other Roads), number of fatalities for that particular year, and reasons for frequent accidents.

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Contd…On the basis of data received periodically TRW

assess and monitor the progress .After systematic compilation of data, all details

are provided to National Highway Authority of India , DG(Roads) & Chief Engineer ( Road Safety) of M/o Road transport and Highways, Chief Engineers of PWD of respective States/U.Ts & other concerned for taking short term and long term corrective measures to rectify those black spots on priority basis.

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Remedial ActionSome Short-term measures

• Rumble strips• Reflective stickers at junctions• Fixing signboard/ Cautionary board• Providing signage• Speed Restrictions

Some Long-term measures Construction of Vehicular Under-pass Construction of By-pass Construction of flyover 4-laning 17

Road Accident Fatalities : 2011, 2012 and 2013S. No States No. of Fatalities at Top 25 Black

Spots2011 2012 2013

1 Andhra Pradesh 99 62 712 Bihar 91 98 633 Chattisgarh 61 44 744 Gujarat 250 114 1145 Haryana 90 70 976 Karnataka 121 90 1517 Kerala 263 244 2328 Madhya Pradesh 297 147 1329 Maharashtra 102 53 42

10 Rajasthan 250 126 19311 Tamil Nadu 1,053 749 66812 Uttar Pradesh 255 352 24413 West Bengal 58 65 59

Total 2990 2214 2140Source: Reported by Police Departments of respective States.

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Details of remedial measures taken by NHAI at Top Black Spots of 13 States S.

No.States/UTs Total No.

of Black Spots*

No. of Black Spots pertaining to

NHAI

No. of Black Spots requiring remedial

measures

Short-term Remedial Measures

Long-term Remedial Measures

Short-term Long-term Completed

In-progress

Completed In-progress

1 Andhra Pradesh & Telengana 25 19 17 15 17 0 5 1

2 Bihar 21 20 17 20 17 0 9 83 Chhattisgarh 22 12 3 10 3 0 0 84 Gujarat 25 23 20 23 20 0 7 155 Haryana 25 25 9 25 9 0 4 156 Karnataka 25 10 8 6 8 0 5 17 Kerala 27 4 4 3 4 0 2 08 Madhya Pradesh 24 12 4 8 4 0 0 89 Maharashtra 25 21 16 21 16 0 3 14

10 Rajasthan 25 20 16 20 16 0 16 411 Tamil Nadu 25 24 23 24 23 0 9 612 Uttar Pradesh 25 14 12 12 12 0 1 513 West Bengal 26 19 17 19 17 0 2 13

Total 320 223 166 206 166 0 63 98    * - As reported by the Police Deptt. (traffic) of respective States.    

  Source: National Highways Authority of India as on 16.12.2015 19

2011 2012 20130

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29902214

2140

Number of fatalities on National Highways at Top 25 Black Spots of 13 States

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Cashless treatment of Road Accident Victims In order to give a boost to emergency care of the accident

victims, a pilot project has also been launched by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways on Gurgaon - Jaipur section of NH 8, for providing cashless treatment to road accident victims for 48 hours at an expenditure upto a limit of Rs. 30,000. GPS enabled ambulances connected with a central control room through a toll-free number 1033, are stationed at intervals of 20 km to transport the injured to the hospitals for treatment within the ‘Golden Hour’.

The same pilot scheme has also been extended on two more stretches i.e. Mumbai – Vadodara of NH – 8 and Ranchi – Rargaon -Mahulia of NH 33.

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JAIPUR - GURGAON STRETCH NH -8Year No. of Accidents No. of Fatalities No. of Injuries2012 954 491 8352013 979 476 9402014 1075 475 915

2015* 781 415 619* data relates to (January – October 15)

2012 2013 2014 20150

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No. of Accidents No. of Fatalities No. of Injuries22

MUMBAI-VADODARA STRETCH NH - 8Year No. of Accidents No. of Fatalities No. of Injuries

2012 2312 906 15652013 2219 947 17312014 2012 882 1397

2015* 1732 756 1123•data relates to Mumbai (January - October 2015) •data relates to Vadodara (January - November (2015)

2012 2013 2014 20150

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No. of Accidents No. of Fatalities No. of Injuries 23

RANCHI-RARGAON-MAHULIA STRETCH NH - 33Year No. of Accidents No. of Fatalities No. of Injuries

2012 694 338 5212013 355 117 4722014 397 266 323

2012 2013 20140

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No. of Accidents No. of Fatalities No. of Injuries24

Visit of Officials to the Identified Black Spots in National HighwaysSenior Officials from TRW/MoRTH visited all the major identified

black spots in Vadodara-Mumbai stretch of NH-8 and Ranchi-Raregaon-Mahulia stretch of NH-33 along with Project Directors of NHAI, PWD officers .

Short term remedial measures have been taken by NHAI . Required long term measures are either at execution stage or at planning stage.

Latest data/information received from NHAI/ Police Departments of respective States indicates positive results in this area.

Police Departments of the respective States have been informed that certain short term and long term measures have been taken to curb the accidents/fatalities on identified Black Spots and to take feed back from them and report it to TRW

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Thank You

Always Follow Road Safety Rules

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