Alarming rise in road accidents, IRF session calls for urgent adoption of Low-Cost, High-Impact Road Safety Solutions to Save Lives in cities

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Eminent road safety experts stressed that India can significantly reduce road fatalities through affordable and evidence-based interventions in cities.

‘Several low-cost, high-impact road safety measures, including development of 30 km/h low-speed zones in residential and school areas. Installation of high-visibility zebra crossings and raised pedestrian crossings.

Use of curb extensions (bulb-outs) to reduce pedestrian crossing distances. Construction of median refuge islands for safer pedestrian movement across wide roads.” said  Prof. Geetam Tiwari, Emeritus Professor and Former Chair Professor, Transportation Research and Injury Prevention Programme. (TRIPP) IIT Delhi while speaking at lecture on “Low Cost, High Impact Road Safety Improvements for Cities” organised by India chapter of International Road Federation (IRF) global road safety body.

“Implementation of lane narrowing and chicanes to naturally calm traffic Improved retro-reflective signage and road markings to enhance night-time visibility can substantially improve road safety in cities. Implementation ofInternational best practices demonstrating that tactical interventions can reduce crashes while improving mobility for all road users. ” Prof Tiwari said..

“India’s rapidly expanding cities face growing challenges as infrastructure development struggles to keep pace with urbanisation. Contrary to the common perception that road safety depends primarily on expensive infrastructure projects such as flyovers and expressways, he said that most urban crashes occur due to everyday design deficiencies on ordinary roads operating at normal traffic speeds.” Said Mr K K Kapila, President Emeritus, International Road Federation (IRF) while speaking on the occasion.

“Low-cost engineering measures such as roundabouts, raised pedestrian crossings, traffic-calming measures, improved street lighting and safer intersection designs have been proven to reduce crashes by 20 to 80 per cent, often at a fraction of the cost of major infrastructure projects. Such interventions can be implemented much faster and deliver immediate safety benefits.” Said Mr Kapila.

Mr. Kapila also highlighted several implementation challenges that continue to hinder progress, including the multiplicity of agencies responsible for road safety, weak enforcement of traffic regulations, the complexity of retrofitting existing urban streets, fragmented funding mechanisms, inadequate crash data and post-crash care, and resistance to reallocating road space for pedestrians and cyclists.

Mr. Akhilesh Srivastava, President, ITS India Forum, emphasised that safer roads are essential for sustainable urban mobility and highlighted the importance of integrating intelligent transport systems with proven engineering measures.

Mr. Jitendra Kaushik, CEO, Onnyx Electronisys Pvt. Ltd., presented innovative technological solutions supporting urban traffic safety, while Ms. Aswathy Dilip, Managing Director, ITDP India, shared global experiences on designing safer, more inclusive streets through sustainable urban mobility initiatives.

The session also featured a presentation by Mr. Jasvinder Duhan, Program Manager, IRF-India Chapter, who discussed implementation strategies and best practices for Indian cities in school zones as about 10,000 students die due to road accidents.