MEASURES TO ENHANCE ROAD SAFETY ON URBAN ROADS

By

Dr.T.S.Reddy* & Purnima Parida**

Synopsis

Urban population in India is growing at a very rapid rate. Added to this the liberalisation
of economy has contributed to accelerated growth of socio-economic standards of urban
residents. The result is increased demand for travel. The growing travel demand and
heavy concentration of population have resulted in high volumes of passenger and
vehicular flows on urban roads. The supply of infrastructure has not been able to keep
pace with the growing demand, since it requires huge investments to be made. The
widening gap between these two has manifested itself in the form of increased congestion
on the roads, increasing air and noise pollution, wasteful consumption of fuel, and rising
accident rates. Accidents are of prime concern since they result in loss of life, injuries,
damage to property and in turn loss to the community. The severity of road accidents in
India has reached an alarming situation with over 3 lacs accidents taking place every year
resulting in about eighty thousand fatalities and an economic loss of over five thousand
crores of rupees besides untold human miseries. Urban areas are accounting for about
fifteen percent fatalities besides a considerable proportion of property damage and
injuries to persons.

The subject of road accidents is a complex one. The solution to this largely depends on an
integrated approach to improve the harmony among the three basic parameters viz.
Road, vehicle and road user. The paper attempts to review the causes of urban road
safety problems and their results and then goes on to analyse the nature and magnitude
of the road traffic accidents in India with primary aim of suggesting action plan and steps
to address the problem on a sustainable basis in Indian context.

1. INTRODUCTION

Economic growth has brought about a spurt in vehicle ownership and a fast pace of
urbanisation has led to tremendous growth in urban traffic. An increase in 125 folds in
vehicle ownership in almost 50 years has been mated out by a 4 folds increase in road
infrastructure during the same period. The widening gap between supply and demand has
manifested itself in many forms and accident is one of them.

_________________________________________________

* Head, ý Traffic & Transportation Division, Central

Road Research Institute, New Delhi –
** 110020
Scientist,

The number of severity of accidents reflect little efforts made to ensure safety of road
unreported accidents involving property damage and minor injuries. Nearly 85 percent of
these deaths are occurring on rural roads (NHs, SHs, MDRs, ODRs and VRs) while the
remaining take place on urban roads. Nearly 50 percent of the road accident victims are
pedestrians while the two wheeler riders account for about 20 percent of the victims.

The literature world over describes that around 90% of the accidents are caused due to
human fault. However it needs to be recognised that the driver behaviour on the roads is
closely related to vehicular characteristics, roadway features such as their condition and
environment and presence or absence of traffic safety and control devices. This is more
applicable for Indian conditions where vehicles are normally old and ill maintained, road
geometrics are deficient, road environment is unforgiving and traffic control and safety
devices are practically absent.

Majority of the accidents on highways tend to occur at the locations which are deficient in
roadway design features. The number and severity of such accidents get aggravated due
to inadequacies in planning, design, maintenance, application of traffic regulation, control
and safety features. The problem becomes more serious on major road sections passing
through urban areas and habitats where slow moving local traffic has to move along with
fast moving through traffic.

2. CAUSES OF DETERIORATING ROAD SAFETY

The safety problem is fast deteriorating in India. There are a number of factors
responsible for this. Some of the factors are discussed below :

2.1 Inadequate Traffic Engineering Measures

Traffic engineering measures are inadequate and ineffective in solving road problems in
the cities of India. The study conducted by the Central Road Research Institute on the
"use and misuse of Road Signs" on Delhi roads revealed that road signs are not properly
designed and the placement of road signs on roads is also done in a faulty manner. Traffic
engineering practices are grossly neglected on urban streets and rural highways. There
has been no sincere attempt to incorporate different traffic management measures to
enhance operational efficiency and safety. Traffic engineering is yet to be seriously
recognised as a professional discipline and integral part of highway engineering in India.
In the absence of adequate organisational structure for traffic engineering, traffic scenario
remain chaotic in almost all urban areas of the country.

2.2 Inadequate Enforcement of Regulations

The Traffic Police forces in metropolitan cities are inadequately resourced and trained.
Inadequate strength of traffic police is a major problem in most cities. No organised
training facilities are available and there is hardly any exposure of police personnel to the
science of traffic safety management in an organised manner. The traffic police force not
only lacks in house logistics but also lacks access to external agencies where such
expertise exist.

2.3 Lopsided Policies

Road design and transport planning are not appropriate to traffic condition and policy
makers are yet to appreciate the importance of road safety. There is an increasing thrust
on fast vehicular transport modes and the role of non-motorised modes is getting
neglected. Due to paucity of resources and high operating costs the public transport
supply falls short of demand. Lack of adequate public transport, forces people to use
personalised vehicles.

The use of private modes have to be discouraged by providing better public transport on
one hand and adopting pricing policies like enhancing parking fees, taxes on fuel, spares
etc. on the other hand.

2.4 Road Safety Perception

Even though about eighty thousand lives are being lost in road accidents traffic safety
unfortunately ranks low among public as compared to the perception of social and public
health problems. This is possibly because the perceived risks are very low at the
individual level. Road safety is matter of great personal tragedy and tremendous
economic costs in terms of valuable lives lost, medical treatment, insurance and damage
to public and private property. Many a times the road accident is treated as the will of
God and destiny. As early as the seventies, the Planning Commission has accepted road
safety as a plan subject and allocated specific funds to Delhi. This was followed slowly by
some other states who also made similar attempts to secure funds for road plans of India.
For the first time, in Ninth Five Year Plan of India, specific funds were kept for road safety
management activities. It covers broad items like engineering improvements, traffic
control devices, highway side amenities, urban road safety and high way patrolling
schemes etc. However, it is essential that these funds be utilised judiciously.

2.5 Public Apathy

While over 80,000 people die every year and many are crippled and injured, yet public
remain complacent about road casualities. Accidents, unless they are breath-taking, and
involving many people at once, seem to be too scattered to arouse concerns. Public keeps
silent when a public transport driver drives rashly and disobeys traffic rules thinking it’s
the job of Traffic Police.

2.6 Apathy of Civic Authorities

Civic authorities have a major role to play in promoting the cause of road safety. Civic
authorities like Municipal corporations, Electricity Boards, Water and Sewage Authorities,
Telephone Departments, Gas supply Authorities etc. can help the cause of road safety by
working in coordination and hence keeping the roads in proper order. It is not uncommon
to see garbage on footpaths and roads or road dug up for cabling by electricity
departments / telephone department / gas authorities and left open on the road as it is.
Thus blocking the facilities and obstructing the efficient flow of pedestrians and vehicles

3. REVIEW OF ACCIDENT STUDIES

3.1 Vehicle Ownership Model

Srinivasan and Prasad1 have developed a correlation between fatality rates based on
population i.e. (D/P), and vehicle ownership (N/P) of Delhi and is given by
(D/P) = 4.237115 * 10-4 *(N/P) –0.461271

Regression of fatality rate based on registered motor vehicles (D/N) on vehicle ownership
(N/P) was worked out for Delhi and is given by the following relationship.

(D/N) = 3.8061 x 10-4 (N/P) –0.59339

Multiple linear regression of D on N and P worked out for Delhi is given by

D=4.4668* 10-6 * N0.32 *P0.95

Where

D= Annual accident figures

N= Registered motor vehicles

P= Population for the corresponding year.

3.2 Registered Vehicles Model

Tuladhar and Justo2 have developed models after studying the data from 1963 to 1980 of
Bangalore city of fatal accident volume (D), Number of Registered motor vehicles (N), and
the corresponding population (P). They have developed the relations as follows :

i. The rate of fatal accidents per 105 population = D x 103/P

ii. The rate of fatal accidents per 103 vehicles = D x 103/N
iii. The number of registered motor vehicles per 103 population = N x 103/P
iv. And also the fatality value per 1010/NP

3.3 Vehicle Damage Model

Marwah and Singh3 have developed models for predicting the accidents after studying the
data from 1971-75 on Kanpur Metropolitan city. They have developed relations between
vehicle damaged and registered motor vehicles during the accidents, and the
relationships for the persons killed and severely injured have been established. The
following relationship have been established between the vehicles damaged and the
registered motor vehicles.

VD = 0.066*N – 113 for 30,000 < N < 46000

Where

VD = Number of vehicles damaged in a year

And N = Number of registered motor vehicles in a year

The following relationships has been established between persons killed and number of
registered motor vehicles and also developed a relationship between number of persons,
severely injured in a year and number of registered motor vehicles.

PK = 0.0034* N – 76 for 30,000 < N < 46000

PSI = 0.0047* N – 96 for 30,000 < N < 46000

Where

PK = Number of persons killed in a year

PSI = Number of persons severely injured in a year

N = Number of registered motor vehicles of a year

3.4 Road Accident Forecast Model

Kadiyali and Venkatesh4 discussed a methodology for forecasts of accident based on

regression analysis. Based on the past trend, an attempt has been made to work out a
relation between accident, deaths and motor vehicles population i.e.

D = Kvw

Where

D = Number of deaths per 10,000 vehicles

K, w = Constants

V = Number of vehicles per 1000 population

4. DEVELOPMENT OF AN APPROACH TO URBAN ROAD SAFETY

Traditionally approach to road safety has been three pronged (i) Engineering (ii)
Enforcement and (iii) Education. Different professionals have different weightages for
these measures. Review of studies related to accidents indicate that at macro level
growth of vehicles and urbanisation, at micro level road geometrics play important role in
accidents. To check the growth in the road accident fatalities in the longer run use of
personalised vehicle need to be discouraged through policy measures. Development of
public transport system holds the potential to check the growth of personalised vehicles
as a long term strategy and consequently to reduce number of accidents. However short
term strategies includes :

i. Geometric Design Improvements

ii. Traffic Regulations
iii. Traffic Calming and
iv. Protection of Vulnerable Road Users.

4.1 Geometric Design Improvements for Road Safety

Through improvement in geometric design it is possible to enhance safety of urban roads.
Some of the crucial elements in geometric design are medians (ii) sight distance (iii)
design of intersection and (iv) use of energy absorbing furniture in road geometrics.
Development of divided roads with medians, rectification of sight distance at blind corners
have resulted in reduction of road accidents. The experience of traffic rotaries is found to
be very encouraging. In view of their active role in dampening the speed and resulting in
road accidents on urban roads they are effective as safety devices. Rotaries also help in
resolving the conflicts among turning vehicles and forcefully reduce the approaching
speed, thereby reducing the severity and number of road accidents. Provision of energy
absorbent road furniture can reduce the vehicular damage during the accidents and strict
adherence of such measures can lower the fatality risks involved in urban road accidents.
Delineators and Barricades help the road users / drivers in identifying the path to be
followed and avoid hitting objects. They specially help during the nights when in absence
of street lighting, the carriageway features are not adequately lit and visible. The roads
need to have divided lanes with obstructions installed in order to reduce the glare of
vehicle headlights coming from opposite direction. Plantations and hedges on medians
help in abating the glaring effect as well as the pollution.

4.2 Traffic Regulations

As per Uniform Vehicle Code and Model Traffic Ordinance (USA) the purpose of traffic
regulation is "to ensure, as far as this can be done by law and its application, that traffic
shall move smoothly, expeditiously, and safely; that no legitimate user of the highway,
whether in a vehicle or on foot, shall be killed, injured or frustrated in such use by the
improper behaviour of others. Such regulations in India can be developed under seventy
fourth constitution amendment. Local government can enact laws within their boundaries
to enhance road safety in the following manner.

i. Regulation of stopping, standing and parking of vehicles

ii. Regulation of traffic by police officers or traffic control devices
iii. Regulation of speed
iv. Designation of one-way streets, through streets and truck rates
v. Establishment of turn prohibitions and non-passing zones
vi. Control of access and removal of sight distance obstructions.

Enactment and enforcement of such regulations, can enhance urban road safety in a
significant manner.

4.3 Traffic Calming

Traffic calming is the use of physical fixtures such as speed humps and traffic circles to
control the speed and movement of vehicles. These measures are effective on the roads
passing through universities, hospital zones, residential areas and schools. The results of
traffic calming are fewer road accidents, safety and convenience for pedestrians,
reduction of noise and air pollution from automobiles, Improved scenery on public streets
etc. The tools of traffic calming are raising the surface of the street in certain spots e.g.
installing speed humps. Adding fixtures motorists must drive around such as landscaped
islands in the middle of intersections, Narrowing the street to give drivers the feeling they
are in a crowded place, which make them slow down and totally or partially blocking half
the entrance to a side street so drivers cannot turn in but still can come out. These traffic
calming practices are employed in various places in UK and are working effectively. Speed
 tables, chicanes, buildouts can be tried under Indian conditions.

4 Measures for Vulnerable Road Users

The vulnerable road users are pedestrians, two wheeler drivers and cyclists. Facilities shou
in an integrated manner so as to ensure a continuous flow and provide protection to vulner
users. The basic aim should be to reduce their conflicts with other fast moving traffic to the
While planning traffic facilities the convenience of vulnerable road users should be given pa
importance, otherwise the facilities provided will not be optimally used.

4.4.1 Provision of Footpath (Side Walk)

In IRC guidelines for pedestrian facilities, it is given that the sidewalks should be provided
on both sides of the road and above the level of the carriageway separated by non
mountable kerbs. But at many places in Delhi it has been observed that the height of
sidewalks is so less that the two wheeler move on them during peak hours leaving no
space for pedestrians. In small and medium towns, the foot path is either altogether
absent or is at the same level of carriageway. It results in use of footpath for multifarious
activities. The guidelines while constructing footpaths should be followed strictly and
preferably railings should be provided to deter the entry of two wheelers.

4.4.2 Removal of Encroachment

It has been advocated time and again that the informal sector functioning from footpaths
should be removed in order to make them available to pedestrians. The local authorities
have tried it many a times but the end product remains the same. It seems the problem
lies some where else. This problem can be tackled by considering the functioning of
informal sector from footpaths as an integral part of the system. They cater to the needs
of pedestrians and other road users. Instead of removing them, they can be incorporated
in the design of footpaths. Giving them a designated space on footpath and separating at
the same time so that they don’t interfere with the movement of pedestrians and also
vehicles. The encroachment by hawkers all over the footpath may be concentrated at one
place where pedestrian movement is heavy or near residential colonies.

4.4.3 Footover Bridges and Subways

To facilitate the movement across the carriageway these structures are provided but they
seem to bother an already harassed pedestrian more. Climbing of stairs is difficult for old
age people and persons suffering from other ailments. Traffic Management system should
be implemented to avoid pedestrian and vehicular conflicts. In Central Business Districts
or where pedestrian flow is very large pedestrian precincts can be made or escalators can
be provided in subways.

4.4.4 Provision of Cycle Tracks

The importance of bicycle planning is not only confined in the developing countries alone
but also in developed countries such as USA, UK, Holland, Germany, France are
increasingly taking interest for the promotion of the bicycle planning with major
objectives of safety in mind. The study carried out in above countries amply demonstrate
that bicycle could be a popular mode of transport, if the necessary safety measures are
well taken care of in planning and design of bicycle facilities within the road network
system. In most of the Indian cities poor road design, absence of facilities for bicyclists
together with increasing number of fast moving vehicles are the greatest factors and
cause many problems to bicyclists in a mixed traffic flow condition. The bicycle tracks
should be provided and these tracks should be segregated either by a kerb or barrier to
dissuade its use by motorised vehicles.

4.4.5 Improving Visibility of Cyclists

Cyclists in India don’t have any headlights or backlights (leave aside the indicators of left
& right turning). This causes the problem of visibility of bicycle during night hours, where
road lighting is inadequate. Bicycle safety would increase, if they are made conspicuous
by adding the reflectorisation factor. Either the reflectorisation tapes can be secured onto
the Bicycles or they can be painted in yellow or orange colour so that they become visible
to other road users during night.

4.4.6 Making Helmet Wearing Compulsory for Two Wheeler Riders

In India, wearing helmet is not compulsory in all the states. Even in the states where it is
compulsory people wear helmets of all shapes and sizes and of substandard quality just to
avoid prosecution by law. People using two wheelers should understand that wearing a
helmet is for their own benefit and not of traffic police. Beside making helmet wearing
compulsory for all the two wheeler riders (driver + pillion riders) they should be given an
awareness training to make them realize the risk they are at by not wearing the helmets.

4.4.7 Construction of Byepasses

The National Highways and State Highways and other district roads which carry a huge
quantum of fast moving vehicles generally pass through the city. The through traffic
plying on these roads puts a burden on the city roads, increase the environmental
pollution, congestion and accidents. In the absence of footpaths, the pedestrians are at
great risk of involving in accidents due to increased traffic on internal roads. Construction
of byepasses will restrain the through traffic from entering the city and will reduce the
number of accidents.

5. ROAD SAFETY EDUCATION

Instead of Traffic Police personnel chasing the road users to follow the traffic safety rules
on the road, the road users should inculcate the habit of following the traffic rules and
respect the other road users. This can be achieved by imparting training to road users
especially the school children. If a child understands the importance of obeying the traffic
rules and regulations, he will carry it all through his life. The media can play a very
important role in this regard by spreading the message all over the nation.

6. CONCLUSIONS

Road traffic safety is an outcome of interactions in integrated system of Roads, Road

Users and Vehicles. Whenever harmony among the three sub-systems is disturbed the
chances of accident occurrence would increase. Any efforts to enhance the safety of road
traffic operations should be based on an integrated approach to preserve and promote the
harmony of these three subsystems. In comparison to developed countries the traffic
accident characteristics and nature of accidents are considerably different in India. To
enhance the road safety condition a large number of strategies can be employed but they
need to be analysed in terms of Indian conditions in order to accrue optimum benefits.
Some of the measures such as traffic calming, traffic management which require minimal
investment but go a long way in reducing accidents can be very effective.

Acknowledgement

The authors are thankful to Prof.P.K.Sikdar, Director, Central Road Research Institute,
New Delhi for giving his kind permission to publish this paper in the International National
Seminar on "Sustainable Development in Road Transport" organised by Indian Roads
Congress and PIARC in New Delhi from 8 - 10 November, 2001.

References

1. Srinivasan. N, and Prasad. K, "Fatal Accident Rates in Delhi", Indian Highways,

Vol.4, No.3, 1979.
2. Tuladhar, S.B.S., and Justo, C.E.G., "Analysis of Accident Rates – A Case Study",
Highway Research Bulletin No.16, 1981.
3. Marwah D.S., "Analysis of Road Accidents in Kanpur", Indian Highways Vol.7,
No.2, 1992.
4. Kadiyali, L.R. and Venkatesh, S., "Traffic Accidents, Forecasts and Remedies",
Indian Highways, Vol-12, No-4, pp. 7-12 April 1984.
5. "Motor Transport Statistics of India 1991-1997 Transport Research Wing,
M.O.S.T."