Page 1 of 5
European Journal of Business &
Social Sciences
Available at https://ejbss.org/
ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 07 Issue 05
May 2019
Available online:https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 902
Study on safety measures of road
Traffic accidents in tamil nadu
M. Murugan
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
PRIST (Deemed to be University), THANJAVUR.
ABSTRACT
Road accident in India is increasing despite recent legislative amendments, awareness
programmes and enforcements of traffic rules. Road users behavior has been found to
be the primary reason of accidents in 70% to 90% cases. An attempt has been made
in this paper to elaborate the actions taken by the Tamil Nadu State Government and
its impact on road accidents. The awareness about wearing helmets and stringent
actions against the rule defaulter were made positive result in reducing the Road
Accidents and fatalities during 2017 in TamilNadu.
INTRODUCTION
The process of rapid and unplanned
urbanization has resulted in an
unprecedented revolution in the
growth of motor vehicles world-wide.
The alarming increase in morbidity and
mortality owing to road traffic
incidents over the past few decades is a
matter of great concern globally. It
could be notable that the roads occupy
an eminent position in transportation
and carry nearly 65% of freight and
87% of passenger traffic. Traffic on
roads is growing at a rate of 7 to 10%
per annum while the vehicle
population growth, for the past few
years, is of the order of 12% per
annum. Moreover, the lengths of
roads are more prosperity of the
nation.
Rapid growth of population coupled
with increased economic activities has
favored in tremendous growth of motor
vehicles. This is one of the primary
factors responsible for roadaccidents.
Road traffic accidents are a human
tragedy. They involve high human
Page 2 of 5
European Journal of Business &
Social Sciences
Available at https://ejbss.org/
ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 07 Issue 05
May 2019
Available online:https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 903
suffering andsocioeconomic costs in
terms of premature deaths, injuries,
loss of productivity and so on.
Consequently, road safety has become
an issue of National concern. Every
year over 1 millionpeople are killed
and 50 million people are injured on
road accidents around the world. In
India,more than 70,000 people get
killed due to road accidents every year,
and this needs to be recognized as an
important public health issue. To avoid
premature deaths and human
sufferingvarious steps were taken by
the Tamilnadu Government .
These includes strict enforcement
,suspension of driving licences of
drivers who commit the traffic
violations such as over load ofgoods,
over speed, drunken driving, using
mobile phones while driving etc.
involving vehiclemanufacturers and
dealers in road safety measures,
regulating the working hours of Tourist
Taxi,Maxi Cab drivers etc.,
Motorization has enhanced the lives of
many individuals and societies, but the
benefits have come with a price.
Although the number of lives lost in
road accidents in high-income
countries indicate a downward trend in
recent decades, for most of the world's
population, the burden of road-traffic
injury—in terms of societal and
economic costs—is rising
substantially.[1] Injury and deaths due
to road traffic accidents (RTA) are a
major public health problem in
developing countries where more than
85% of all deaths and 90% of
disability-adjusted life years were lost
from road traffic injuries.[2]
As a developing country, India is no
exception. Not a day passes without
RTA happening in the roads in India in
which countless number of people are
killed or disabled. Often members of
the whole family are wiped out. Those
who are affected or killed are mostly
people in their prime productive age.
The highest burden of injuries and
fatalities is borne disproportionately by
poor people, as they are mostly
pedestrians, cyclists, and passengers of
buses and minibuses.[2]
The data for fatal accidents presented
to the Parliament by the Ministry of
Road Transport and Highways for year
2008 shows that 119,860 people
perished in mishaps that year and the
Page 3 of 5
European Journal of Business &
Social Sciences
Available at https://ejbss.org/
ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 07 Issue 05
May 2019
Available online:https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 904
national and state highways accounted
for nearly half of all road accidents.[3]
Deaths due to road accidents in 2009
were reported to be 126,896 and in
2010 it increased to 133,938 which is
about 5.5% over and above the
previous year's deaths. Tamil Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Karnataka, and Rajasthan have
accounted for 11.5%, 10.5%, 7.1%,
and 6.8%, respectively, of total “Road
Accident” deaths in the country.[4]
The trend is alarming and is leading to
a frightening situation day by day.
METHODOLOGY
The present study is analytical in
nature, Compound Annual Growth
Rate (CAGR) on vehicles, accidents
and fatalities are calculated and simple
average is also used as a statistical
tool. The data available in the
Transport Commissioner’s Office,
Statistical Unit is used as primary
source of data. The data from 2001 to
2017 is taken for the purpose of study.
The objective of the study is to (i)
Analyse the growth of the Vehicular
Population of Tamil Nadu (ii) The
Measures taken by the Government of
Tamil Nadu in controlling the Road
Accidents and follow up action to
safeguard the human lives met
accidents and (iii) Its impacts on
reducing the accident and fatalities in
Tamil Nadu.
ROAD SAFETY INITIATIVES BY
THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
(i) The Government has approved a
National Road Safety Policy. This
Policy outlines various policy
measures such as promoting
awareness, establishing road safety
information data base, encouraging
safer road infrastructure including
application of intelligent
transport,enforcement of safety laws
etc.
(ii) The Government has constituted
the National Road Safety Council as
the apex body to take policy decisions
in matters of road safety.
(iii) The Ministry has requested all
States/UTs to constitute State Road
Safety Council and District Road
