Road Min plans to make it must for all highways 

In a major step to prevent road accidents, the Centre is considering to install crash barriers along its existing NHs and make it mandatory for all future highway projects.

A week after Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said highway accidents lead to loss of 3 per cent of GDP annually, the Ministry is exploring ways to bring down highway crashes and fatalities. Installing crash barrier is one of the steps in that direction.

Crash barriers are designed to withstand the impact of even high speed vehicles. They are expected to slide and roll guide vehicles back on the road while keeping the level of damage to vehicle as well as to the barriers within acceptable limits. It has been found that less than five per cent of the total network of about 1.50 lakh km of National Highways has crash barriers installed.

“Ideally a crash barrier should present a continuous smooth face to an impacting vehicle so that the vehicle is redirected, without overturning, to a course that is nearly parallel to the barrier face and with a lateral deceleration, which is tolerable to motorists. To achieve these aims, the vehicle must be redirected without rotation about both its horizontal or vertical axis (without “spinning out”) and the rate of lateral deceleration must be such as to cause the minimum risk of injury to the passengers,” explained a senior NHAI official.

“We are preparing specifications to install crash barriers. Different type of crash barriers have to be installed, depending on the lanes of the highways,” said an official.

The Ministry has also taken immediate measures to identify faulty engineering and road designs across the country and has sought help from all stakeholders, including the States.

The Road Ministry is also identifying accident-prone spots. It has set up district-level committees to examine and suggest immediate repair and attention. The Ministry has also formed four separate working groups based on the principle of 4 Es Road Safety — Education, Enforcement, Engineering (roads as well as vehicles) and Emergency care. These groups would submit their recommendations on short-term and long-term measures for immediate implementation so as to curb road accidents in the country.

At the National Road Safety Council and 39th Meeting of Transport Development Council last week, it was pointed out that more people in India die annually in road accidents than those killed in militant strikes.

Gadkari had asked the States to prepare a roadmap to develop and reorient road infrastructure within their administrative limits to cut down fatalities on road.

A new format on ‘Environment and Emergency’ care of road accident victims with tie up with several NGOS, hospitals and stakeholders is also to be worked on.