India is moving fast. With the world’s second-largest road network stretching over 6.3 million kilometers, the country is building expressways, widening highways, and investing in smarter cities. Projects like Bharatmala Pariyojana and the Smart Cities Mission are not just about roads; they’re about transformation. But alongside this growth, a sobering truth remains: India still ranks among the highest in global road fatalities.
In 2022, more than 4.6 lakh road accidents claimed 1.68 lakh lives, according to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. These numbers tell us something important. Infrastructure alone won’t save lives, drivers will.
This is a closer look at how roads, regulation, and human behavior come together on India’s journey toward safer mobility, and why better drivers may matter more than better roads.
India’s road network is layered; national highways make up only 2%, state highways another 3%, and the remaining 95% are urban and rural roads. While headline projects often focus on high-speed corridors and metro upgrades, millions travel every day on local roads that suffer from poor lighting, broken signage, and unsafe pedestrian access.
Projects like Bharatmala are ambitious in scope, but implementation is complex. Land acquisition, utility relocation, and environmental clearance delays are common across the world, especially in a country as vast and diverse as India.
Even when new infrastructure is built, designs often don’t reflect local realities; like the way pedestrians and vehicles share space in semi-urban areas, or how mixed traffic conditions affect safety in smaller towns. Roads need to be functional, but also human-centered.
Infrastructure sets the stage, but drivers bring the action. India’s licensing system has long been criticized for its loopholes and leniency. Many drivers hit the road with little formal training. The result is visible in everyday practices; speeding, drunk driving, ignoring signals, or overtaking without caution.
But not all drivers are the same. And that’s exactly the point.
Each group brings its own challenges. And unless driver training, welfare, and monitoring are improved, even the best roads can't keep people safe.
In response to rising road fatalities, the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 introduced major reforms to India’s road safety framework.
Its goals were clear:
The law was a critical step forward. But laws need enforcement, and drivers need support to do better.
India’s approach to enforcement is also evolving. The Motor Vehicles Act (Section 136A) empowers the government to enforce electronic monitoring of road safety. In 2021, Rule 167A(1) made it mandatory to install:
These are being deployed across national and state highways, large cities, and high-risk corridors.
As of late 2024, states like West Bengal, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and Delhi had filed compliance reports for implementing these measures. Others are still catching up.
The idea is simple: drivers are more likely to follow rules when they know they’re being monitored. But technology isn’t just for catching mistakes, it can also encourage better behavior.
Technology works best when it empowers, not just penalizes.
Drivers don’t operate in isolation. They’re influenced by social norms, peer behavior, and what’s seen as “acceptable” on the road. That’s why Pedal supports initiatives that focus on community engagement.
Cultural change doesn’t happen overnight. But when safe behavior becomes the norm, not the exception, the shift is real.
Especially for commercial drivers, road safety isn’t just a matter of law. It’s a question of livelihood.
Many truckers, auto-rickshaw drivers, and cab operators work with:
This leads to fatigue-related accidents and compromised judgment.
A safer future must include:
To improve driver quality, India needs licensing reform that goes beyond paperwork.
Driving isn’t just about operating a vehicle. It’s about understanding the responsibility that comes with it.
India’s road safety challenge is complex, but solvable. It requires:
At Pedal Mobility, we recognize that safer roads begin with informed and well-trained drivers.
Improving road safety in India requires an ecosystem-wide response. Infrastructure without education fails. Enforcement without training breeds fear, not discipline. But when good roads meet responsible drivers and proactive governance, the result is not just fewer accidents, it’s a safer, smarter India on the move.
