"When I go to attend international conferences where there is a discussion on road accidents, I try to hide my face," Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday, underlining he had set a target to reduce accidents by 50% when he first took charge as the Road Transport and Highways Minister.
The minister said that for things to improve human behaviour in India has to change, society has to change and rule of law has to be respected.
Gadkari said he and his family met with a major accident some years ago and he needed to be hospitalised for a long time. "By the grace of God, I and my family were saved. So I have my personal experience of accidents." He said parking of trucks on road is a major cause for accidents and many of the trucks don't follow lane discipline.
Also Read | Layoffs Are Rising In Tech, But These Skills Are Helping People Unlock Better Pay
-
Indian Markets Turning Corner After Two Tough Years, Says Sandeep Tandon -
NDTV Profit Ignite 2026: Experts See Opportunity In Equities, Stay Bullish For Long-Term -
Buy Right, Sit Tight Does Not Work for Individual Stocks, Says Dinshaw Irani -
'Worst Is Behind': Quant MF Sees Market Bottom, Flags 'Extreme Euphoria' In Midcaps -
India's Mutual Fund Industry Could Become A $1 Trillion Opportunity, Say Fund Managers -
'Foreign Investors Are Baraatis': Raamdeo Agrawal's Take On LTCG Tax -
Stay Invested Through Market Cycles: Raamdeo Agrawal at NDTV Profit Ignite -
Ramesh Damani Remains Bullish On India For Next 20-30 Years, Sees Bargains Amid Market Weakness -
CAS Came After A Long Consultation Process: SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey AT NDTV PROFIT IGNITE -
Aim To Cut FPI Onboarding Time From Mth To Five Days: SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey AT NDTV PROFI
He said he has ordered for following international standards in making bus body in India. There has to be a hammer near a bus window so that it can be broken easily in case of accidents, he said.
Earlier, Gadkari said road accidents claim 1.78 lakh lives annually in the country and 60% of the victims are in the age group of 18-34 years.
He said while Uttar Pradesh leads the chart among states, Delhi tops the list for cities. In UP, over 23,000 people (or 13.7% of the total deaths due to road accidents) died, followed by Tamil Nadu with over 18,000 (10.6%) deaths.
In Maharashtra, the figure stands at over 15,000 (or 9%of the total deaths), followed by Madhya Pradesh with over 13,000 (8%) deaths.
Delhi leads the city chart with over 1,400 deaths, followed by Bengaluru with 915 deaths. Jaipur registers 850 deaths due to road accidents.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
