Road Safety Standards in India Still Need Reform

The Indian Automobile Safety Conference, co-organized by the Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE) and the Global New Car Assessment Programme (Global NCAP), in partnership with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, was held at the College of Traffic Management, Faridabad, on May 16 and 17. The two-day event brought together automobile and component manufacturers, safety experts, and policymakers to chart a roadmap for reducing road accidents and aligning India's vehicle safety standards with global benchmarks.

Conference Overview and Objectives

The Indian Automobile Safety Conference was convened with a clear mandate: to support the Indian automobile industry in developing policies and measures needed to achieve the ambitious road safety targets embedded in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Global Plan of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011–2020). This global framework advocates an integrated and holistic approach to road accident prevention — one that connects vehicle design, infrastructure, traffic management, and human behavior.

The conference served as a critical knowledge-sharing platform, examining developments across NCAPs operating in Australasia, ASEAN countries, Europe, Latin America, and the newly launched Bharat New Vehicles Safety Assessment Programme (BNVSAP). Discussions brought together perspectives from global safety programmes, Indian regulators, and industry stakeholders to understand how India can close the gap between its current vehicle safety standards and international best practices.

Global NCAP and SaferCarsForIndia Results

One of the most anticipated highlights of the conference was the unveiling of the latest SaferCarsForIndia crash test results, conducted under the aegis of Global NCAP. The results drew significant attention from manufacturers and safety advocates alike, reinforcing the urgency of improving structural safety in vehicles sold in India.

David Ward Calls Out Sub-Standard Car Models

David Ward, Secretary-General of Global NCAP, presented the results and underscored a vital concern: many popular cars tested in India showed unstable body shells in crash simulations, a fundamental requirement for occupant safety. Ward emphasized that a stable body shell is an absolutely crucial prerequisite for occupant protection — along with the standard fitment of front airbags. He called on all manufacturers globally to stop developing new models that fall clearly below safety standards.

The SaferCarsForIndia initiative is a collaborative effort between Global NCAP and Indian safety advocates to test and publish crash ratings for cars widely sold in the Indian market. The aim is to create consumer awareness and pressure manufacturers to voluntarily enhance safety features, even before mandatory regulations come into force.

Road Safety Crisis in India

India continues to grapple with one of the world's most severe road safety crises. With over 1.5 lakh fatalities annually, road accidents exact a staggering social and economic toll on the nation. Despite the Central and State Governments directing increased attention to road safety, experts at the conference voiced concern that the solutions being implemented are not backed by rigorous research or systemic thinking.

A recurring theme in discussions was the distinction between treating symptoms versus addressing root causes. Many current government interventions focus on surface-level measures — increased fines, awareness campaigns — while the deeper structural deficiencies in traffic engineering, urban transport planning, and policy frameworks remain unaddressed.

Expert Insights from IRTE President Dr. Rohit Baluja

In a detailed discussion on the sidelines of the conference, Dr. Rohit Baluja, President of IRTE and Director of the College of Traffic Management, shared sharp and candid observations on the state of road safety policy in India. His remarks were a call to action for deeper reforms across governance, education, and infrastructure.

Government Initiatives Lack Research-Based Solutions

Dr. Baluja was pointed in his critique: the Government, he said, is looking at solutions only for the symptoms of road safety problems, rather than addressing the problems themselves. While acknowledging that attention to road safety has increased at both the Central and State Government levels, he maintained that this attention must translate into research-based, evidence-driven policies for meaningful outcomes to materialize.

Defining Traffic Management Remains a Critical Gap

A key observation from Dr. Baluja was that India has not yet defined the concept of traffic management as a discipline — including the roles and responsibilities within the broader traffic management system. Without this foundational clarity, he argued, all downstream initiatives are built on unstable ground.

Key Challenges in Traffic and Transport Management

Dr. Baluja identified several structural weaknesses that compound India's road safety challenge. These are not isolated issues but interconnected systemic failures that demand an integrated policy response.

• Traffic Engineering Vacuum: Traffic engineering — the scientific backbone of road safety management — remains largely undeveloped in India. Governments continue to outsource this critical function, which Dr. Baluja identifies as the primary cause of systemic failure in road safety outcomes.

• Two-Wheeler Dominance: Approximately 73 percent of India's 200 million-plus vehicle population consists of two-wheelers. This stark statistic reflects a fundamental failure in transport management and the absence of a robust, compatible public transport policy.

• Capacity Building Deficit: India urgently needs investment in the definition and capacity building of all domains of traffic and transport management — from traffic engineering to urban mobility planning and road safety governance.

• Outsourcing Critical Functions: The tendency to outsource core functions like traffic engineering, instead of building in-house governmental expertise, undermines the integrity and continuity of road safety programs.

  
  

The Way Forward for Indian Road Safety

The Indian Automobile Safety Conference concluded with broad consensus on the need for a paradigm shift — from reactive, symptom-focused interventions to proactive, systems-based road safety governance. Experts called for stronger data collection mechanisms, mandatory crash testing and safety ratings for all vehicles sold in India, and urgent investment in developing homegrown traffic engineering expertise.

The conference also reinforced the critical role of programmes like GNCAP and BNVSAP in driving change through consumer awareness and public accountability. When crash test results are made transparent and widely publicized, manufacturers face market-driven incentives to improve safety — a dynamic that has proven effective in mature automotive markets globally.

India's road safety journey requires collaboration across government, industry, academia, and civil society. Conferences like these are a vital step in building the shared understanding and political will needed to make Indian roads safer for the more than 200 million vehicle users who depend on them every day.