Safety of Indian Road Transport System

India has the highest road fatalities rates in the world. It is something like an epidemic striking the nation continuously without any remedial action. Even after two decades, the fatality rates are not coming down, which means, the new government should take it up as top priority to bring down the road fatality on war footings with immediate effect. Out of three essential aspects of road transport, the cars coming on the roads offer reasonable safety except some of the low end cars, still being sold without airbags. There seems to be no strict regulation of this effect and the government should make strict regulations to this effect. Second aspect of road transport, i.e., the infrastructure is too weak in two respects. The national highways form 1.7% of the roads; carrying 40% of the traffic and the quantum of expressways are negligible part of it. India lacks skilled man power and lack of will for carrying out the massive work needed to convert existing national highways in toexpressways. And finally the driver aspect is the most crucial, as 85% of the fatal crashes are attributed to drivers fault and there is no deterrence of law to control behaviour of drivers in India.