Executive Summary:
This document outlines the Indian government's policies regarding road safety and quality standards on National Highways. It addresses accident statistics, maintenance compliance, and emergency services integration. The data covers the period from 2023 to June 2025, and the policies are currently in effect.
Key Points / Main Content:
Accident Statistics and Black Spot Identification:
* The eDAR portal is the central repository for road accident data.
* National Highway accident and fatality statistics from 2023 to June 2025 are provided.
* Black spots are defined as 500-meter stretches of NHs with either five or more accidents involving fatalities or grievous injuries in three years, or ten or more fatalities in the same period.
* Remedial measures for black spots include short-term interventions (signage, crash barriers) and long-term improvements (geometric redesign, underpasses).
* 13,795 black spots have been identified on NHs for the series of 2016-2018, 2017-2019, 2018-2020, 2019-2021 and 2020-2022.
Maintenance and Quality Standards:
* Section 198A of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 mandates adherence to design, construction, and maintenance standards.
* Indian Roads Congress (IRC) guidelines and government circulars are binding on all NH projects.
* Road Safety Auditors vet designs, and contractors prepare traffic management plans.
* Safety audits are required before the issuance of Completion Certificates.
* Contracts include provisions for addressing lapses by contractors or engineers.
Emergency Services Integration:
* Integrated Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) uses the 112 emergency number.
* Free passage is provided to emergency vehicles.
* Good Samaritans are protected under Section 134A of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
* First-aid kits are required in all vehicles.
* 196 Trauma Care Facilities are sanctioned in government hospitals/medical colleges.
* NHAI operates the 1033 emergency helpline.
* Model concession agreements include provisions for patrolling vehicles, ambulances, and towaway cranes.
* Ambulances with paramedics are provided at toll plazas.
* Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS) are being installed for incident identification and highway monitoring.
Impact Analysis:
Contractors/Concessionaires:
* Impact: Subject to penalties for not meeting safety and quality standards; required to adhere to IRC guidelines and government circulars; responsible for traffic management plans and rectifying lapses.
* Action Required: Ensure compliance with all safety and quality standards; implement traffic management plans during construction; address any identified lapses promptly.
Road Safety Auditors:
* Impact: Responsible for vetting designs and drawings prepared by contractors/concessionaires.
* Action Required: Thoroughly review designs to ensure they meet all safety requirements before project commencement.
Citizens/Road Users:
* Impact: Benefit from improved road safety, emergency services, and reduced accident response times.
* Action Required: Be aware of emergency services (112, 1033) and provisions for Good Samaritans; ensure vehicles are equipped with first-aid kits.
Government (Ministry of Road Transport and Highways):
* Impact: Responsible for implementing and enforcing the outlined policies and standards.
* Action Required: Monitor accident data through the eDAR portal; identify and address black spots; ensure contractors adhere to safety and quality standards; continue to improve emergency response systems.
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI):
* Impact: Responsible for implementing emergency services and ATMS on National Highways.
* Action Required: Provide ambulances at toll plazas; install and maintain ATMS on high-density corridors; operate the 1033 emergency helpline.
States/Union Territories:
* Impact: Responsible for entering accident data into eDAR portal.
* Action Required: Provide timely and accurate accident data for analysis.
Key Entities Referenced
Bharatmala Pariyojana: A centrally-sponsored and funded Road and Highways project of the Government of India.
Golden Quadrilateral: A national highway network connecting many of the major industrial, agricultural and cultural centres of India.
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways: The ministry responsible for the development and maintenance of roads and highways in India.
National Highways: The network of highways throughout India maintained by the central government.
Motor Vehicles Act, 1988: An act of the Parliament of India that regulates all aspects of road transport vehicles.
Indian Roads Congress: The apex body of highway engineers in the country.
Integrated Emergency Response Support System: India's single emergency number 112 designed to address different emergencies of citizens.
National Highways Authority of India: An autonomous agency of the Government of India, responsible for management of a network of National Highways.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3042
ANSWERED ON 7TH AUGUST, 2025
SAFETY AND QUALITY STANDARDS
3042. SHRI TEJASVI SURYA:
Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार् ग मत्रं ी
be pleased to state:
(a) the highway statistics on serious accidents, fatality rates and
black spots identified on completed Bharatmala and Golden
Quadrilateral segments from the year 2023 to 2025;
(b) the status of maintenance schedule compliance and the penalties
levied or proposed to be levied on contractors not meeting safety and
quality standards; and
(c) the new policies adopted for integrating highway ambulance
services and real-time hazard warning systems on accident-prone
stretches?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
(SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)
(a) Electronic Detailed Accident Report (eDAR) portal acts as a
central repository for reporting, management and analysis of road
accidents data across the country. As per data entered by States/ UTs
on the portal, total number of road accidents and fatalities on National
Highways in the country during the period from 2023 to 2025 (upto
June, 2025) is as under -
No. of accidents on all No. of fatalities on all
Year
NHs NHs
2023 1,23,955 53,630
2024 1,25,873 53,090
2025 (upto
67,933 29,018
June, 2025)The Government identifies black spots based on road accident data
received from States and Union Territories (UTs). A black spot is
defined as a stretch of NH of approximately 500 meters where either:
Five or more road accidents involving fatalities or grievous
injuries have occurred over the last three calendar years
(combined), or ten or more fatalities have occurred during the
same period.
Government undertakes both short-term and long-term remedial
measures based on site-specific requirements.
Short-term measures include road markings, signage installation,
crash barriers, raised pavement markers, delineators, closure of
median openings, and traffic calming interventions.
Long-term measures involve geometric improvements, junction
redesign, spot widening of carriageways, and construction of
underpasses or overpasses.
A total of 13,795 black spots have been identified on NHs for the series
of 2016-2018, 2017-2019, 2018-2020, 2019-2021 and 2020-2022.
(b) Sub-section (1) of Section 198A of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988
provides for any designated authority, contractor, consultant or
concessionaire responsible for the design or construction or
maintenance of the safety standards of the road to follow such design,
construction and maintenance standards, as may be prescribed by the
Central Government from time to time.
Indian Roads Congress (IRC) formulates Standards, Guidelines,
Manuals, etc. for all aspects of highway building and maintenance,
including road safety. Government also issues policy circulars on road
safety engineering issues pertaining to National Highways (NHs). Such
Standards, Guidelines, Manuals of IRC and policy circulars are
applicable and binding on all NHS.
Design and drawings prepared by the contractor/ concessionaire for NH
project is vetted by Road Safety Auditor. Contractor/concessionaire
prepares traffic management plan for the construction period to ensure
safety of traffic and construction workers. Before issue of Completion
Certificate, safety audit is carried out to ascertain the safety
requirements of the projects. In the contracts, there are adequateprovisions to address the lapses by either contractor/ concessionaire or
authority's engineer/ independent engineer.
(c) The Government has taken various initiatives for the emergency
services at accident sites which, inter-alia, include:
i. Integrated Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) is
designed with a single emergency number 112, to address
different emergencies of citizens.
ii. Provision for free passage to emergency vehicles, such as an
ambulance or fire service vehicle, etc. (Section 194E of the Motor
Vehicles Act, 1988).
iii. Protection of Good Samaritans who provide emergency medical or
non-medical assistance to victims of motor vehicle accidents
(Section 134A of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988).
iv. Provision for First-aid kit in all vehicles. (Rule 138(4) of the
Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989)
v. Sanction of 196 - Trauma Care Facilities in Government
Hospitals/Medical Colleges across the Country under "National
programme for Prevention & Management of Trauma and Burn
injuries" by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
vi. Emergency helpline number 1033 is operated by National
Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
vii. Provision for Patrolling Vehicles, Ambulances, Tow-away cranes,
etc. in the model concession agreement.
viii. The National Highways Authority of India has made provisions for
ambulances with paramedical staff/Emergency Medical
Technician/Nurse at toll plazas on the completed corridors of
National Highways.
In new NH projects on high density and high speed corridors of NHAI,
installation of ATMS is generally a part of the project. Further, ATMS is
also implemented as standalone projects in already constructed
important corridors. ATMS has provisions for various electronic
enforcement devices which help in speedy identification of incidents on
the highway stretches and effectively monitor the highways, thereby
improving the response time of the on-site assistance.
*****