Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): At least three percent of road accidents in India occur due to infrastructure deficiencies such as poor road design and inadequate signage, while over 53 percent are linked to two-wheelers. These findings were presented at a state-level workshop on road safety held in Bhopal on Wednesday.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav inaugurated an advanced road safety application named Sanjay during the event. Two MoUs were also signed—one between the Public Works Department and IIT Madras, and another between the Madhya Pradesh Road Development Corporation and the Save Life Foundation.
Highlighting the importance of safety awareness, the Chief Minister said that no task is more important than saving lives. He urged two-wheeler riders to wear helmets and car drivers to fasten seat belts. He said that PWD is adopting new technologies to reduce accidents across the state.
PWD Minister Rakesh Singh said that as roads become faster and more modern, risk of accidents has also risen. He called for increased public awareness about road safety practices.
Chief Secretary Anurag Jain said that 53 percent of road accidents in the country involve two-wheelers, and proper helmet use could save 60 percent of those lives. He said that Centre is developing an Emergency Response System to ensure that accident alerts reach hospitals quickly, allowing victims to receive free treatment up to Rs 1.5 lakh for the first seven days.
Professor Venkatesh Balasubramanyam of IIT Madras, who is also an Independent Director at MPRDC, said that most road accidents occur due to human error, while three percent are attributed to design flaws and missing indicators.
