Road crash is the primary cause of unintentional injury deaths in India, accounting for over 43 per cent of such fatalities, as per the report, titled “National Strategy for Prevention of Unintentional Injury.”
Compiled by the Union Ministry of Health, the report launched at the “Safety 2024” conference, the 15th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion noted that Road traffic crashes (RTCs) are the leading cause of unintentional injuries, responsible for 43.7 per cent of these deaths.
Overspeeding has been identified as the primary factor, contributing to 75.2 per cent of road traffic fatalities. Other significant causes include driving on the wrong side of the road (5.8 per cent) and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (2.5 per cent), as per the report.
While drowning accounted for 7.3 per cent to 9.1 per cent of unintentional injury deaths, falls contributed to 4.2 per cent to 5.5 per cent. At the same time, poisoning was responsible for 5.6 per cent. Burns account for 6.8 per cent.
In 2022, there were 430,504 deaths from unintentional injuries and 170,924 from intentional injuries. The mortality ratio remains relatively stable, with approximately 86 per cent of fatalities affecting males and 14 per cent females.
Rural areas were disproportionately affected, with 67.8 per cent of road traffic deaths occurring in these regions compared to 32.2 per cent in urban areas.
Although national highways represented only 2.1 per cent of the total road length in India, they were responsible for a significant number of fatalities. In 2022, there were 45 deaths per 100 km of national highway.
The “Safety 2024” conference, hosted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, the George Institute for Global Health, and other collaborating institutions, brought together experts to address these issues.
Etienne Krug, Chair of the International Organising Committee for World Conferences on Injury Prevention (IOC) at WHO, highlighted the progress made but stressed that more action is needed to prevent road traffic deaths, falls, and violence. Injuries and violence still cause around 4.4 million deaths annually.
Similarly, Jagnoor Jagnoor from the George Institute for Global Health advocated for a shift from merely changing human behavior to adopting a “safe systems” approach including, improving road and vehicle safety and protecting vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, motorized two-wheeler riders, and cyclists.
Continued efforts are necessary to reduce fatalities and improve safety for all road users, particularly in high-risk areas and among vulnerable populations, said the experts.
