Road Safety Requires Certainty of Enforcement, Not Mere Awareness, Says Transport Secretary
Union Road Transport Secretary V Umashankar stated on Thursday that simple awareness drives or campaigns are insufficient to reduce violations of road traffic rules and prevent road crashes. Instead, he emphasized that the "certainty of enforcement" will have a far greater deterrent impact. Umashankar made these remarks while sharing details of the recently notified e-challan rules during the release of the New Delhi Road Safety Declaration at the National Road Safety Confluence held at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi.
Questioning the Effectiveness of Awareness Alone
Umashankar posed critical questions to illustrate his point. He asked whether a juvenile involved in a recent case in Delhi did not know that he was underage and should not have been driving a car. Similarly, he questioned if the vehicle owner who modified a tourist bus—leading to a fire that killed over 20 people—was unaware that such modifications were illegal.
"Forty-five percent of fatalities involve two-wheelers or people riding two-wheelers," Umashankar observed. "We find that most of these deaths occurred because the rider was not wearing a helmet. Does he not know that wearing a helmet is good for him?"
He concluded, "Awareness is not enough—what we need is organised, district-level action, backed by certainty of enforcement and supported by strong institutions. When compliance becomes a habit and accountability becomes certain, road safety will move from intention to impact."
Global Perspective on Road Safety
Mats-Ake Belin, global lead for the Decade of Action for Road Safety at the World Health Organization, highlighted that road safety is now firmly on the global agenda, receiving strong political and media attention. "Our responsibility is to move beyond awareness and ensure consistent, evidence-based implementation so that no country is left behind in preventing road traffic deaths," he added.
The New Delhi Road Safety Declaration
The New Delhi Road Safety Declaration, aligned with the WHO Decade of Action for Road Safety, notes that India records the highest number of road fatalities globally. Vulnerable road users—such as pedestrians, cyclists, two-wheeler riders, gig workers, and rural communities—are the most affected.
Despite several initiatives, the absence of coordinated, institution-led action has limited national impact. "The declaration addresses this gap by adopting a Safe System approach, placing human life at the centre of all mobility decisions," it stated.
Five Pillars of Action
The declaration, spearheaded by the Bharat Association of Road Safety Volunteers (BARS)—an organisation comprising members from diverse fields—has set five pillars of action:
- Strengthening road safety management through leadership at all levels.
- Promoting open crash data, annual public reviews, dedicated funding, and enhanced enforcement.
- Ensuring safer vehicles and fleets.
- Promoting safer road users and improved post-crash response.
- Creating a safer driving environment.
Participants at the confluence included representatives from ministries, WHO and other multilateral agencies, civil society, academia, industry bodies, OEMs, technology innovators, and youth groups.
