Road Safety Week starts from Monday

The Road Safety Week this year will be organised throughout the country from Monday onwards to create public awareness about improving safety on roads, said the road transport ministry.

"During the week, awareness about various causes of road accidents and measures to prevent them will be highlighted by organising various activities with school/college students, drivers and all other road users," it said in a statement on Sunday.

"The ministry has also organised a 'Walkathon' from India Gate on January 11, in association with Delhi Police and Society for Indian Automobile Manufactures (SIAM) to solicit their active participation in the road safety movement," the statement said.

Road Safety Week is observed throughout the country in January every year.

"In India, about 1.4 lakh people are killed in road crashes every year while many more get injured and disabled for life. Youths in the age group of 15 to 24 years comprise 33 percent of the total fatalities," the statement said.

At a global conference on traffic safety in Brasilia in November last year, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said India fully endorsed the Safe System Approach which is being advocated by the United Nations.

"With over 200 million vehicles on our roads and vehicle registration witnessing a rapid increase at the rate of 10 percent annually, our country is faced with serious impacts on road safety levels," Gadkari said.

The minister said he has asked the government for complete replacement of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 to encompass comprehensive promotion of road safety as well as promotion of the development of an efficient, seamless and integrated multi-mode public transport system.

India is collaborating with International Road Federation, WHO and World Bank who are assisting the country by way of strengthening the capabilities of various institutions, enhancing awareness, improving engineering designs for safer roads, improved trauma care and host of related activities.