A staggering proportion of India's road fatalities are concentrated on a tiny fraction of its total road network, highlighting a severe national safety crisis. Recent tragedies have ignited fresh debates on the urgent need for systemic reforms and a specialized agency to investigate these incidents.
A Trail of Tragedy on National Highways
In a devastating series of events spanning less than a month, six major road crashes involving buses and other passenger vehicles have resulted in the loss of at least 70 lives. Four of these severe accidents occurred in the states of Rajasthan, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. This wave of tragedies underscores the persistent dangers on Indian roads.
One particularly horrific collision took place in December on NH-48 near Jaipur. An LPG tanker and a truck collided, leading to a catastrophic incident that claimed 20 lives. The sheer force of the impact and the scale of destruction were so alarming that it prompted immediate reactions from the ministries of road transport and highways, and petroleum and natural gas, which publicly announced corrective measures.
Systemic Failures and Regulatory Gaps
Further exposing the chinks in the system, two recent fires in sleeper coach buses—one in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, and another in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh—have triggered widespread public outrage. These incidents have brought to the forefront critical discussions on the blatant flouting of safety regulations and the complete absence of effective monitoring, especially for buses carrying passengers during night hours.
In the aftermath of each of these disasters, a common and troubling admission has emerged from government authorities. Officials have conceded that these were not isolated incidents but the result of multiple systemic failures.
The Alarming Statistical Reality
The core of the problem is starkly illustrated by a chilling statistic: nearly 36% of all road fatalities in India occur on the National Highway network. This is especially alarming considering that this network constitutes a mere 2% of the country's total road length.
This disproportionate death toll has led experts and observers to call for the establishment of a separate, dedicated agency to probe road accidents, similar to the specialized bodies that exist for investigating mishaps in sectors like mining and railways. The current approach is seen as inadequate to address the complex causes behind these recurring tragedies and to implement lasting solutions.
