Road safety needs to be priority

Road safety today must enjoy the highest importance for every Indian citizen. Its importance is linked not only to its societal impact but also to the scale of India’s auto demand and rising ownership. Over 30 years ago, the Indian car market began to show the first signs of its future potential, growing at a faster rate than that in many developed economies. In the next three years, as per a McKinsey report, India is set to emerge as the world’s third-largest passenger vehicle market. By 2040, the number of vehicles per 1000 inhabitants is anticipated to increase almost nine times.

Yet, one only needs to look at the road fatality numbers to realise that rising access to personal mobility has not resulted in a stronger awareness of road safety. In fact, traffic-related fatalities have only increased year on year. The worst possible outcome — incidents of traffic mortality — is emerging out of India’s car boom. Without a culture of rigorous compliance to safety protocol, the road safety crisis will continue to fester. Road safety is, therefore, a vital intervention across the mobility ecosystem for measurable outcomes.

The Indian car sector has served as a conscientious stakeholder. With industry-wide awareness campaigns across States, it has demonstrated acute cognizance of its role. Simultaneously, the rise of Internet of Things-enabled, connected cars in India, which international auto majors are heavily investing in currently, can give a digital edge to road safety. With an array of embedded sensors informing drivers of other on-road cars, onboard analytics can give them real-time driving suggestions to avoid collisions.

 - Avantika S, Hyderabad