Road Crashes Often Caused by Design Flaws, Not Just Human Error, Experts Reveal
In a significant shift from conventional wisdom, experts at a road safety meeting held on Monday disclosed that many fatal accidents are not primarily due to driver recklessness but are instead triggered by instinctive human responses to road geometry. This revelation challenges the long-held belief that human error alone is to blame for most crashes, pointing instead to systemic design failures that provoke predictable and dangerous behaviors.
Predictable Responses to Road Features Lead to Crashes
During in-depth discussions on behavioral patterns, researchers presented findings indicating that specific geometric features of roads consistently elicit predictable driver reactions, which in turn lead to predictable crash scenarios. For example, when approaching a sharp curve, a driver may realize too late that the bend is tighter than it initially appeared, resulting in delayed braking and potential skidding. Similarly, on a narrow bridge, a driver might slow down abruptly out of caution, causing the vehicle behind to fail in anticipating this hesitation and leading to a rear-end collision.
Delhi's latest traffic data underscores the critical need for addressing these issues. Fatal accidents in the city increased from 1,504 in 2024 to 1,578 in 2025, with pedestrian deaths rising from 584 to 649 during the same period. Even as minor accidents saw a slight decline, the uptick in fatal pedestrian crashes signals a growing vulnerability for those on foot, emphasizing the urgency for improved road safety measures.
The Three Elements of Road Crashes: Road, User, and Vehicle
Dr. Mohan Rao, chief scientist and head of engineering services at the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), described road crashes as an interaction between three key elements: the road itself, including its design, geometry, signage, and maintenance; the user, encompassing drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists; and the vehicle, considering its condition and safety systems. He emphasized that a failure in any one of these elements—or an overlap of failures—can result in tragedy.
However, Dr. Rao stressed that the term 'human error' does not automatically imply irresponsibility. Distraction operates at three levels: visual, where the driver's eyes are off the road; manual, where hands are off the wheel; and cognitive, where the mind is off the driving task. Even brief overlaps in these distractions significantly increase the probability of a crash, highlighting the complex nature of driver behavior.
Eye-Tracking Studies Reveal Natural Gaze Patterns
Further insights came from eye-tracking studies conducted on Indian roads, which revealed that drivers do not consistently look straight ahead as commonly believed. On straight stretches, their gaze tends to drift to the right. This rightward bias persists on left-hand curves and intensifies on right-hand curves. This instinctive scanning pattern, linked to anticipation and alignment reading, has direct implications for the placement of warnings and signage.
If safety signage falls outside a driver's natural gaze zone, it is likely to be missed. Junctions designed purely on theoretical alignment models, without factoring in real visual behavior, create blind spots in planning. Dr. Rao noted that even lane indiscipline—often blamed for road chaos—accounts for only about 4% of crashes, while poor geometry frequently nudges drivers into violations instead of discouraging them.
Safe System Approach and Black Spot Identification
Anurag Kulshrestha, president and road safety expert at TRAX, echoed these concerns through his discussion on black spot identification and the 'safe system approach.' This philosophy accepts human fallibility and builds buffers around it, such as safe roads, speeds aligned with road function, predictable design, and shared institutional responsibility. Yet, progress remains slow, with Kulshrestha noting that it takes an average of seven to eight years to fully rectify a notified black spot, during which time the same stretch continues to claim lives.
He highlighted problematic segments like the Sohna stretch of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, parts of the Dwarka Expressway, and the Akshardham stretch of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, where abrupt lane drops, inconsistent widths, and poorly channelised merging create sudden conflict zones. Kulshrestha emphasized that infrastructure must be rigorously audited at the design, execution, and post-construction stages—not merely cleared on paper.
Questioning the Speed Versus Safety Binary
Mukti Advani, senior principal scientist at CRRI, questioned the long-standing binary of speed versus safety, pointing out that Delhi now has over 100 flyovers, with more under construction, yet congestion, pollution, and accidents persist. She noted that cities often follow a predictable cycle: an unsafe intersection gets traffic signals, leading to increased congestion; a flyover is constructed, providing brief traffic relief; and within two to three years, congestion returns as space is repeatedly allocated to speed rather than safety.
Nearly 30% of Delhi's land is already devoted to roads, while footpaths remain fragmented or encroached upon. Advani argued that foot overbridges, requiring four to eight times more physical effort than at-grade crossings, often fail because they disregard everyday human behavior. Clearing and strengthening footpaths could free significant carriageway space by encouraging walking, thereby enhancing overall road safety.
The Critical Role of Helmets in Road Safety
The impact of authentic, sturdy helmets compared to cheap knockoffs was another key talking point at the meet. Jean Todt, UN special envoy for road safety, warned that last year, nearly 70% of helmets sold in Delhi were fake, indistinguishable from certified ones to the naked eye but offering vastly different protection in a collision, where the difference can be life and death.
Rajeev Kapur, Managing Director of Steelbird Hi-Tech India, called on two-wheeler companies to mandatorily supply two genuine helmets with every bike at minimal cost. He also proposed AI-powered helmet sensors and GPS speed limiters to eliminate speeding, highlighting technological innovations as part of the solution.
The meeting was organised in collaboration with Steelbird Helmets, TRAX – Road Safety NGO, and the Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), bringing together experts to address these pressing issues and advocate for a holistic approach to road safety that prioritizes design and infrastructure over merely blaming human error.
