Identification of Accident-Prone Spots on National Highways

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : Road Transport and Highways Ministry has been making concerted efforts towards improvement of road safety through engineering measures on National Highways and  789 black spots have been identified and notified with unique ID numbers assigned to each of the spots. Guidelines have been prepared and notified for investigation and rectification of the road accident black spots on National highways. So far 395 black spots have been rectified.

Out of these black spots, 510 black spots are under the jurisdiction of NHAI, 150 black spots are under the jurisdiction of State PWD (NH) and remaining 129 black spots are under State Government. Out of 510 black spots under NHAI, 276 have been rectified. Out of 150 black spots under the jurisdiction of PWD (NH), 119 have already been rectified. Out of these 789, a total number of 12 Black Spots are in Odisha of which 4 have been rectified.

The Government has launched a mobile app for highway users i.e. “Sukhad Yatra 1033” which enables highways users to report potholes and other safety hazards on National Highways including accidents. Facilities such as Foot Over bridges & under passes are being provided wherever required for safe crossing of pedestrians and other road users. Road safety has been made an integral part of road design at planning stage.

The threshold for four laning of national highway has been reduced from 15,000 Passenger Car Units (PCUs) to 10,000 PCUs. About 52,000 km of stretches of State Highways has been identified for conversion to national highways.

Altogether 54,046 persons were killed on NHs/Express Highways across the country in accidents in 2018 while 53,181 persons were killed in 2017 and 52,075 persons were killed in 2016.

There are many reasons for accidents on the National Highways, i.e.,  Weather condition, Animal Crossing, Defect in Mechanical condition of Motor Vehicle, Physical fatigue of Drivers,  Driving under influence of drug/alcohol, over speeding dangerous driving, over-taking  and  careless/Rash driving etc. This information was given by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in a written reply in Lok Sabha on November 21, 2019, according to a PIB release.

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 (DPR)/Engineering Design. Ministry has taken up installation of crash barriers in hilly terrain on National Highways in predominantly hilly states at accident prone locations.

The Ministry has decided to take up a project i.e. “Integrated Road Accident Database (IRAD)” with funding from World Bank. The main objective of this project is on-site collection of accident data through app-based software and analyse data for identification of black spots and other accident prone areas so as to help in preparation of comprehensive policy and take suitable steps to reduce road accidents on National Highways in the country.