The Union government has recently announced its plan to introduce a Bill to increase speed limits on Indian roads to 140 km per hour on ex...
The Union government has recently announced its plan to introduce a Bill to increase speed limits on Indian roads to 140 km per hour on expressways, 100 km per hour on national highways and 75 km per hour on city roads.
This announcement contrasts with what is widely known as a fact – higher speeds increase the likelihood of crashes. Road traffic crashes are defined as collisions or incidents that may or may not lead to injury, occurring on a public road involving at least one moving vehicle.
Road traffic fatalities are defined as deaths occurring within 30 days as a result of the crash. According to the World Health Organisation, every 1% increase in mean speed results in a 4%-5% increase in fatal crash risk.
Globally, approximately 13.5 lakh people lose their lives due to road traffic crashes every year. India is no stranger to this epidemic. With a 58.7% increase in road traffic fatalities between 1990 and 2017, India has the worst road safety record in the world. Every hour, 16 people die and 53 are injured on Indian roads. This is alarming since India accounts for only 2% of the global motor vehicle, and yet is responsible for 11% of all road traffic deaths.
Speeding initiates crashes
Speeding initiates deadly crashes – the faster a vehicle travels, the greater...
