The percentage share of total number of fatalities in Road Accidents on National Highways (NH) and State Highways (SH) over total number of fatalities due to Road Accidents in the country during the calendar years 2019 and 2020 are given in the table below :-

Table : Road Fatalities by Road Category (2019 and 2020)

The analysis of data from the States/UTs reveals that road accidents are the result of interplay of various factors which can broadly be categorized into human error, Road condition/environment and vehicular condition. Steps taken to reduce the road accidents on National Highways are detailed below:

• Ministry has defined Protocol for identification of Blackspots as per the circular no. RW/NH-15017/109/2015-P&M (RSCE) Dated 28.10.2015. As per  this circular, Road Accident Black-spot is a stretch of National Highway of about 500 m in length in which either 5 road accidents (in all   three years put together involving fatalities /grievous injuries) took place   during the last 3 calendar years or 10 fatalities (in all three years put together) took place during the last 3 calendar years. Based on Road accidents data collected by police departments of State Governments and compiled by Transport Research Wing (TRW) of this Ministry, Blackspots are identified for undertaking immediate short term measures for mitigation and long term measures for permanent rectification.
• Ministry vide letter dated 9^th September 2021 has written to Chief Secretaries of all the States, Principal Secretaries/Secretaries/ All engineers-In Chief and Chief Engineers of (Public Works Department) of all the States, Director General (Border Roads), Chairman (NHAI), Managing Director (NHIDCL), All CE-ROs/SE-ROs and ELOs of the Ministry and all Project Directors of Ministry to take advance action for removal of accident spots on National highways as per police reports without waiting for converting them into black spots after accidents/fatalities.
• Detailed guidelines for taking up road safety audits on National Highways have been prepared and notified. Road Safety Audits have been made part and parcel of all National Highways development projects on EPC/BOT modes. Ministry has issued circular which makes it mandatory to carry out road safety audit for all new road projects having length of 5 km or more at the stage of Detail Project Report (PR)/Engineering Design.  
• This Ministry and IRC has issued various codes and guidelines, time to time, to implement various road safety measures so as to minimize accidents on National Highways. Also, Supreme Court committee on Road safety, during various meetings, has issued direction to various state governments for implementation of Road safety measures including Engineering measures.
• All the executing agencies are directed to ensure safety provisions for highways during construction. Necessary action is to be taken to ensure provision of road signages, construction of diversion roads and other requisite provisions as per NH guidelines and IRC standards. IRC has already issued IRC: SP:55-2014 regarding “Guidelines on Traffic Management in Work Zones”.  
• Ministry has taken following steps to improve road safety infrastructure through its implementing agencies i.e NHAI, NHIDCL and NH wings of State PWDs:-

1. To carry out all stage (Design, construction, and operation) road safety    audits for all National Highways;
2. Provision of Rumble strips or bar markings at the approaches of junctions on NHs;
3. Provision of Speed Limit signs at desired locations of NHs network; iv. Provision of Speed breakers and associated signage on side roads; v. Provision of amber beacons for traffic approaching a junction as per IRC.

6. Installation of Crash barriers on High embankments and in hilly terrain;
7. Encouraging engineers for certificate course in road safety audit for which MOUs are signed with IITs and other leading technical education/research institutions:
8. Developed a Blackspot MIS portal where details of all blackspots, ids,       photographs, and    rectification status and post rectification feedback shall be collected and monitored.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has amended Rule 95 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, which mandates requirements of Rolling resistance, Wet Grip and Rolling Sound Emissions for tyres falling under classes C1 (passenger cars), C2 (light truck) and C3 (truck and bus), as defined in the Automotive Industry Standard 142:2019. The said tyres shall meet the Wet grip requirements and Stage 2 limits of Rolling Resistance and Rolling Sound Emissions, as specified in this AIS.

The stage 2 requirements for rolling resistance co-efficient in respect of C1, C2 and C3 tyres are indicated in AIS:142.

This information was given by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

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MJPS