New Delhi [India], March 23 : Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Sunday, emphasized the critical importance of road safety, stating that it is a vital concern for every citizen.
Speaking to ANI, he highlighted the need to adhere to traffic rules to prevent accidents, noting that India records the highest number of road accidents globally.
"Road safety is very important for every citizen. When you go out on the road, there are many rules to prevent accidents. The highest number of road accidents in the world occur in our country. This is a matter of concern," Rijiju said.
Rijiju, the Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, along with several Union Ministers and Members of Parliament, participated in the Parliamentarians Car Rally 2025, held at the Constitution Club of India today.
Previoulsy, Union Minister Gadkari reported that India experienced approximately 480,000 road accidents, resulting in 180,000 fatalities and around 400,000 serious injuries.
He emphasized that out of these deaths, 140,000 occurred among individuals aged 18 to 45 years, with two-wheeler riders and pedestrians being particularly vulnerable.
Additionally, he underlined that these accidents lead to an economic loss equivalent to 3 per cent of the nation's GDP.
The Minister also held engineers accountable for the increasing number of road accidents, attributing it to inadequate planning and design of road infrastructures, as well as substandard detailed project reports (DPRs).
He reaffirmed the government's commitment to road safety, stating the objective to reduce accident rates by 50 per cent by the year 2030.
The Union Minister called for a concerted effort between the industry and government to tackle the critical issue of road accidents. He highlighted the need for innovative collaborations aimed at developing effective strategies to enhance road safety.
Emphasizing the pivotal role of education, he advocated for comprehensive training programs that not only focus on constructing safer infrastructure.