NEW DELHI: The number of road accidents on National Highways particularly in Hilly States throughout the country decreased marginally for the years 2007 and 2008 but again increased during the year 2009. However, the number of road accidents in Himachal Pradesh has shown decreasing trend during the same period. Road accident data is compiled in the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways in a format developed as per the Asia Pacific Road Accident Database (APRAD) project of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific (UNESCAP). In this format, specific NH-wise data of road accidents is not compiled.

The safety of road users is primarily the responsibility of the concerned State Governments. However, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has taken certain steps to enhance safety of road users including those in hilly areas. Some of the important steps taken by this Ministry in this regard are indicated below:

i. Road safety included as an integral part of road design at planning stage.
ii. Various steps to enhance road safety such as road furniture, road markings/road signs, introduction of Highway Traffic Management System using Intelligent Transport System, enhancement of discipline among contractors during construction, road safety audit on selected stretches, have been undertaken by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
iii. Refresher training to Heavy Motor Vehicle drivers in the unorganized sector is being implemented by the Ministry since 1997-98 under Plan activities.
iv. Model Institutes of Driving Training & Research are being set up in the States as a Central Sector Scheme.
v. Publicity campaign on road safety awareness is being carried out regularly both through the audio-visual and print media.
vi. Tightening of safety standards of vehicles like Seat Belts, Power-steering, rear view Mirror etc. in alignment with Global Technical Regulation.
vii. Providing cranes and ambulances to various State Governments/NGOs under National Highway Accident Relief Service Scheme. NHAI also provides ambulances at a distance of 50 Km. on each of its completed stretches of National Highways under its Operation & Maintenance contracts.
viii. Widening and improvements of National Highways from 2 lanes to 4 lanes and 4 lanes to 6 lanes etc.
ix. Providing road safety kits to Schools/Transport/Police authorities for better awakening and consciousness of road safety issues.
x. Celebration of Road Safety week (1st – 7th January) every year across the country involving important stakeholders, to emphasise its importance and publicise various road safety issues.

ROAD ACCIDENTS IN HILLY STATES

Sl.No.	States/UTs	Total Number of Road Accidents on National Highways*			Total Number of Persons Killed in Road Accidents on National Highways*
		2007	2008	2009	2007	2008	2009
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
1	Andhra Pradesh	13040	12327	11856	4370	4172	4655
2	Arunachal Pradesh	67	101	113	23	28	49
3	Assam	2334	2683	2808	983	1245	1275
4	Bihar	3159	3862	4305	1555	1868	1993
5	Chhattisgarh	3421	4001	4622	790	1002	1093
6	Goa	1398	1593	1467	143	134	125
7	Gujarat	7253	7025	6640	1812	1857	1958
8	Haryana	4042	3990	4086	1765	1775	1800
9	Himachal Pradesh	1947	1080	1066	585	258	324
10	Jammu & Kashmir	2385	2365	2637	404	487	446
11	Jharkhand	1718	1860	1894	746	882	455
12	Karnataka	13310	12949	13893	2921	2838	3147
13	Kerala	11000	9997	9425	1453	1403	1373
14	Madhya Pradesh	10468	10359	10769	1857	1909	2198
15	Maharashtra	13563	13866	12911	3148	3662	3359
16	Manipur	307	292	320	63	81	61
17	Meghalaya	153	186	235	77	73	100
18	Mizoram	23	58	45	12	35	30
19	Nagaland	121	36	37	49	31	28
20	Orissa	3699	3635	4216	1389	1472	1769
21	Punjab	2240	1903	1684	1346	1149	1140
22	Rajasthan	8218	7811	7932	3059	3495	3432
23	Sikkim	38	47	211	12	15	22
24	Tamil Nadu	19910	19158	21198	4430	4417	5282
25	Tripura	445	270	295	124	65	90
26	Uttarakhand	788	818	792	504	634	475
27	Uttar Pradesh	8105	9795	10917	4580	5210	5958
28	West Bengal	4343	4621	4714	2026	2115	2143
	UTs
1	Andaman & Nicobar Islands	0	37	54	0	6	9
2	Chandigarh	99	89	64	45	36	35
3	Dadra & Nagar Haveli	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Daman & Diu	0	0	0	0	0	0
5	Delhi	956	875	796	286	278	329
6	Lakshadweep	0	0	0	0	0	0
7	Puducherry	372	306	509	55	38	69
	Total	138922	137995	142511	40612	42670	45222
	*: Includes Expressways

ROAD ACCIDENTS IN STATES AND UNION TERRITORIES

Sl. No.	States/UTs	Total Number of Road Accidents in States/UTs			Total Number of Persons Killed in Road Accident in States/UTs
		2007	2008	2009	2007	2008	2009
1	2	3	4	5	4	5	6
1	Andhra Pradesh	44325	42657	43600	13549	13812	14770
2	Arunachal Pradesh	240	280	306	95	134	158
3	Assam	4403	4683	4869	1604	1807	1991
4	Bihar	7774	8991	10065	3482	3940	4390
5	Chhattisgarh	12296	12945	12888	2607	2966	2865
6	Goa	4020	4178	4165	322	318	321
7	Gujarat	33623	33671	31034	6915	7070	6983
8	Haryana	11998	11596	11915	4415	4494	4603
9	Himachal Pradesh	2955	2756	3051	979	848	1140
10	Jammu & Kashmir	5864	5326	5945	958	950	1100
11	Jharkhand	5285	4985	4996	2081	1979	2170
12	Karnataka	46363	46279	45190	8777	8814	8714
13	Kerala	39917	37263	35433	3778	3901	3830
14	Madhya Pradesh	41981	43852	47267	6671	6670	7365
15	Maharashtra	73661	75527	71996	11212	12397	11396
16	Manipur	538	573	578	114	151	125
17	Meghalaya	300	294	398	127	123	145
18	Mizoram	77	110	86	50	63	60
19	Nagaland	239	76	63	89	70	55
20	Orissa	8213	8181	8887	3000	3079	3527
21	Punjab	5208	5115	5570	3363	3206	3668
22	Rajasthan	23885	23704	25114	8145	8388	9045
23	Sikkim	150	196	564	52	79	87
24	Tamil Nadu	59140	60409	60794	12036	12784	13746
25	Tripura	801	767	865	223	221	229
26	Uttarakhand	1529	1417	1401	992	1073	852
27	Uttar Pradesh	21522	25684	28155	11398	13165	14638
28	West Bengal**	11660	12206	11134	4745	4789	4860
	UTs
1	Andaman & Nicobar Islands	173	191	271	23	22	33
2	Chandigarh	534	482	424	151	148	171
3	Dadra & Nagar Haveli	116	116	79	66	65	45
4	Daman & Diu	60	50	63	29	29	33
5	Delhi	8620	8435	7516	2141	2093	2325
6	Lakshadweep	2	12	4	0	0	2
7	Puducherry	1744	1697	1698	255	212	218
	Total	479216	484704	486384	114444	119860	125660
	** Excluding Kolkatta city