44% of Delhi roads lack footpaths: Road safety status report by WHO​

Sep 3, 2024

By: Prerna Tyagi

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WHO Report

​The ‘Safety 2024’ Summit, hosted in Delhi in IIT Delhi, released a report titled ‘Regional strategy for road safety in South-East Asia.’ Let’s dive into some of the key India-focused findings of the report: ​

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Traffic Death Rate ​

The traffic death rate is the number of people killed in road crashes per 100,000 people in a given population. In India, this rate stands at an alarming 18.9.

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​Road traffic fatalities- males and females​

The ratio of male to female road traffic fatalities in South-East Asia is 4.7. India, with a ratio of 5.3, has the second-highest male-to-female road traffic fatality ratio in the region.

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​Road deaths among drivers and pedestrians​

Drivers and passengers of motorised two- and three-wheeled vehicles accountedfor the highest share of road deaths in India at 32.4%. Unfortunately, 21% of road deaths in India are of pedestrians.

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Surge in registered vehicles

India showed the highest increase in the total number of registered vehicles by 44.7% from 72.7 million in 2009 to 105.2 million in 2012.

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Lack of centralised agencies

India currently lacks a lead agency dedicated to road safety, and it also doesn't have a national strategy with measurable targets for reducing fatal injuries, unlike the majority of nations in the region.

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Usage of helmets for safety​

It is estimated that only 20-35% of riders in India wear a helmet. The helmet use rate among drivers is 50% in India. Among passengers, the percentage is <10% in India.

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​How many people wear seat belts?​

Estimates of seat belt wearing rates, in all drivers are: Around 27% of drivers in India wear a seat belt, which is an obvious point of concern.

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