**Executive Summary:**
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways addresses concerns regarding road accident fatalities and data discrepancies. The government acknowledges the multicausal nature of road accidents, influenced by human error, road conditions, and vehicle conditions. The Ministry details efforts to improve data collection and analysis through the Data Lake portal and the Electronic Detailed Accident Report (eDAR), along with initiatives for electronic monitoring and enforcement of road safety.
**Key Points / Main Content:**
* **Road Accident Fatalities:**
* Road accidents are a multicausal phenomenon influenced by human error, road condition/environment, and vehicular condition.
* Road accident fatalities from 2019 to 2022 (as per data received from States/UTs):
| Year | On all categories of Roads | On NHs including NEs |
| ---- | -------------------------- | --------------------- |
| 2019 | 1,58,984 | 53,872 |
| 2020 | 1,38,383 | 50,251 |
| 2021 | 1,53,972 | 56,007 |
| 2022 | 1,68,491 | 61,038 |
* **Data Management and Integration:**
* The Data Lake portal centralizes project data for the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), enabling real-time monitoring and informed decisions.
* The Data Lake portal is integrated with the Electronic Detailed Accident Report (eDAR) application.
* **Electronic Monitoring and Enforcement:**
* Section 136A of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, allows electronic monitoring and enforcement of road safety.
* Rule 167A published in August 2021 enables electronic monitoring and enforcement on high-risk corridors and critical junctions in cities.
* The Department of Expenditure provides incentives to states for implementing electronic enforcement under the Scheme of Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2025-26 (SASCI 2025-26), with an allocation of Rs. 3,000 Crore.
* **Electronic Detailed Accident Report (eDAR):**
* eDAR serves as a central repository for road accident data, integrated with other IT applications (VAHAN, Sarathi, CCTNS, PM Gati Shakti, etc.).
* eDAR covers all road categories and provides data-driven insights for policy formulation and strategic decision-making.
* All States and Union Territories are advised to use eDAR data to enhance road safety.
**Impact Analysis:**
* **States and Union Territories:**
* *Impact:* Required to provide accident data to the central repository (eDAR) and advised to utilize eDAR data for enhancing road safety. Potential to receive incentives for implementing electronic enforcement of road safety.
* *Action Required:* Utilize eDAR, participate in data collection efforts, consider implementing electronic enforcement measures to qualify for incentives.
* **National Highways Authority of India (NHAI):**
* *Impact:* Utilize Data Lake portal for project management and monitoring.
* *Action Required:* Use the Data Lake portal for real-time project monitoring and decision-making.
* **Citizens/Road Users:**
* *Impact:* Benefit from improved road safety measures, data-driven policy formulation, and efficient processing of road accident claims.
* *Action Required:* Be aware of and adhere to road safety regulations.
Key Entities Referenced
National Highways Authority of India: An autonomous agency of the Government of India responsible for management of a network of National Highways.
National Road Traffic Injury Surveillance System: A proposed system by the Government to curb deaths due to road accidents in the country.
Road Accidents in India: A report published by the Government based on data received from States and Union Territories regarding road accidents.
Data Lake portal: A portal developed to centralize project data and streamline project management for the National Highways Authority of India.
Electronic Detailed Accident Report (eDAR): A central repository for reporting, management, and analysis of road accident data across the country.
Motor Vehicles Act, 1988: An act of the Parliament of India that regulates all aspects of road transport vehicles.
National Clean Air Programme (NCAP): A programme to improve air quality in cities.
Scheme of Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2025-26 (SASCI 2025-26): A scheme providing incentives to states for implementing electronic enforcement of road safety.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 818
ANSWERED ON 24TH JULY, 2025
ROAD ACCIDENTS ON NATIONAL HIGHWAYS
818. SHRI MANISH JAISWAL:
SHRI CHAVAN RAVINDRA VASANTRAO:
SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:
Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री
be pleased to state:
(a) whether despite all the efforts of the Union Government and
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) the loss of life statistics
due to road accidents are not reducing in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor along with the
total fatalities occurred during the last three years and the current
year;
(c) whether accident data provided by NHAI at its portal and by
different State Governments do not match;
(d) if so, the details thereof and the reasons for the same;
(e) whether the Government has any proposal to develop a National
Road Traffic Injury Surveillance System to curb deaths due to road
accidents in the country and if so, the details thereof; and
(f) the other steps taken/being taken by the Government to collect
high quality data at State level to pin point the reasons for accidents on
National Highways and State Highways?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
(SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)
(a) and (b) The Government publishes report on “Road Accidents in
India” based on data received from States/ UTs. The said report is
published for the years upto 2022. As per data received from the
States/UTs, road accidents are multi-causal phenomenon and are the
result of interplay of various factors. These can broadly be categorized
into (i) human error, (ii) road condition/environment and (iii) vehicularcondition. As per report for the year 2022, total number of road
accident fatalities in the country on all categories of roads and NHs
(including NEs) from calendar year 2019 to 2022 is given in the table
below : -
No. of road accident fatalities
Year
On all categories of Roads On NHs including NEs
2019 1,58,984 53,872
2020* 1,38,383 50,251
2021* 1,53,972 56,007
2022 1,68,491 61,038
* - Covid affected Year.
(c) and (d) Data Lake portal has been developed to centralize project
data and streamline project management for the National Highways
Authority of India. It serves as a unified platform for real time
monitoring and managing highway projects, allowing stakeholders to
track progress, identify potential issues, and make informed decisions.
The Data Lake portal was integrated with the Electronic Detailed
Accident Report (eDAR) application to fetch and utilize accident data
from eDAR. The accident data available on the Data Lake portal is
based on information entered by State/UT Police into the eDAR system.
(e) Section 136(A) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 provides for
electronic monitoring and enforcement of road safety on National
Highways, State Highways, roads or in any urban city within a state
which has a population up to such limits as may be prescribed by the
Central Government. Accordingly, Government has published Rule 167A
in August 2021 for Electronic Monitoring and Enforcement of Road
Safety at high-risk and high-density corridors on National Highways,
State Highways and at critical junctions in cities having more than one
million population and cities under National Clean Air Programme
(NCAP) in the Country.
Department of Expenditure has issued guidelines for incentive to States
for Implementation of Electronic Enforcement of Road Safety under the
Scheme ofSpecial Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2025-26
(SASCI 2025-26) with allocation of Rs. 3,000 Crore.
(f) The Electronic Detailed Accident Report (eDAR) (erstwhile iRAD –
Integrated Road Accident Database) has been developed as a central
repository for reporting, management and analysis of road accidents
data across the country, duly integrated with other relevant IT
applications, like VAHAN, Sarathi, CCTNS, PM Gati Shakti etc. It coversall category of roads including State Highways. It provides data-driven
insights to support policy formulation and strategic decision-making.
This enables authorities to identify accident-prone locations through
analytics, implement preventive measures, monitor the actions taken,
and ensure efficient processing of road accident claims. All States and
Union Territories have been advised to utilize eDAR data for enhancing
road safety across the country.
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