Eminent road safety experts are urging the swift implementation of cost-effective strategies to enhance safety on roads, particularly in urban areas. They emphasize the importance of measures like establishing 30 km per hour low-speed zones in residential and school areas to curb road fatalities. These experts, speaking at a lecture in New Delhi, highlighted practical solutions such as installing high-visibility zebra crossings and raised pedestrian crossings, which have the potential to significantly decrease road accidents.
According to Prof. Geetam Tiwari, an Emeritus Professor and Former Chair Professor, Transportation Research and Injury Prevention Programme, India can make substantial strides in reducing road fatalities by adopting affordable and evidence-based interventions in cities. He suggested initiatives like using curb extensions to shorten pedestrian crossing distances and constructing median refuge islands to facilitate safer pedestrian movement across wide roads. Additionally, Prof. Tiwari recommended the implementation of lane narrowing and chicanes to naturally calm traffic, along with enhancing night-time visibility through improved retro-reflective signage and road markings.
Prof. Tiwari emphasized the importance of embracing international best practices, stating that tactical interventions can effectively lower crash rates while enhancing mobility for all road users. K K Kapila, President Emeritus of the International Road Federation (IRF), highlighted the challenges faced by India’s rapidly expanding cities due to the struggle of infrastructure development to keep pace with urbanization. He noted that despite the common belief that road safety hinges on costly infrastructure projects like flyovers and expressways, most urban accidents stem from everyday design flaws on regular roads operating at typical traffic speeds.
Kapila stressed the efficacy of low-cost engineering measures such as roundabouts, raised pedestrian crossings, traffic-calming techniques, improved street lighting, and safer intersection designs. These interventions have been proven to reduce crashes by 20 to 80 percent, often at a fraction of the cost of major infrastructure projects, delivering immediate safety benefits. However, Kapila pointed out various challenges hindering progress, including the complexity of retrofitting existing urban streets, fragmented funding mechanisms, inadequate crash data and post-crash care, and resistance to reallocating road space for pedestrians and cyclists.
Akhilesh Srivastava, President of ITS India Forum, highlighted the significance of integrating intelligent transport systems with established engineering measures to further enhance road safety.
