Mumbai, Nov 2 (Agency) Over 50,000 individuals lost their lives in bike accidents last year, due to not wearing helmets, report said by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). The report, titled ‘Road Accidents in India – 2022,’ disclosed that 71.3% of these fatalities were drivers, and 28.7% were passengers. The study highlights a 9.4% increase in fatalities and an 11.9% year-on-year rise in accidents. Furthermore, the number of people injured in road accidents surged by 15.3% in 2022 compared to the previous year. Two-wheelers remained the highest contributor to both accidents and fatalities for the second consecutive year.
In contrast, light vehicles, including cars, jeeps, and taxis, came in a distant second place. The majority of these tragic incidents occurred in rural areas, accounting for 68% of road accident deaths, while urban areas contributed to 32% of total accident deaths, the report said. President of the Two-Wheeler Helmets Manufacturers Association, Rajeev Kapur has urged state governments to take immediate action by enforcing mandatory helmet use laws, emphasizing that it is high time for stringent measures to be implemented to save lives.
“Despite the Government of India having established a law, there remains a severe lack of enforcement,” said Mr. Kapur “Mandating helmet use is within the purview of the states, and unfortunately, many have not taken this matter seriously, leading to countless preventable deaths.” The Tamil Nadu recorded the highest number of road accidents on national highways in 2022, followed by Madhya Pradesh, while Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of individuals killed in road accidents, the report said. The President’s call for stricter enforcement of helmet laws and the crackdown on counterfeit helmets reflects the critical need to address this pressing issue and save countless lives on India’s roads it added.