India recorded over 4.37 lakh highway accidents in 2022
New Delhi:
Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has written to the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, asking her to hyperlink insurance coverage premiums of automobiles to the variety of visitors violations recorded towards the automobiles.
He requested Ms Sitharaman to think about his proposal for a tiered insurance coverage premium system that straight displays the driving behaviour of drivers. Autos with a historical past of violations, together with rushing, reckless driving, or different visitors offences could be required to pay greater premiums. This monetary deterrent would incentivise safer driving practices and foster a tradition of accountable motoring on Indian roads, the Lieutenant Governor stated.
Mr Saxena underlined in his letter that implementing such a system wouldn’t solely align insurance coverage prices with the precise danger posed by drivers, however may also scale back monetary burden on insurers ensuing from frequent claims.
This monetary deterrent pushed method, practised within the US and European nations, would promote accountable driving behaviour, resulting in discount in accidents, saving lives, and guaranteeing extra environment friendly administration of insurance coverage claims, the Lieutenant Governor stated.
The letter talked about latest knowledge from the Street Transport and Highways Ministry that discovered a disturbing pattern of rushing and red-light leaping, which contributed considerably to deadly accidents. A complete research by the World Financial institution additional underscored the correlation between a number of visitors violations and a heightened danger of extreme crashes and emphasised the necessity for pressing motion.
India recorded over 4.37 lakh highway accidents in 2022, leading to roughly 1.55 lakh fatalities. Notably, rushing accounted for practically 70 per cent of those accidents, whereas violations corresponding to red-light leaping contributed considerably to deadly accidents.
An evaluation of accident knowledge by the World Financial institution indicated that automobiles with a number of visitors violations have a 40 per cent greater danger of being concerned in deadly crashes in comparison with these with a clear driving file.
In help of his proposal, the Lieutenant Governor additionally highlighted Delhi’s accident statistics that corroborated these findings. In accordance with a 2023 report of the Delhi Visitors Police, 60 per cent of deadly highway accidents concerned automobiles that had beforehand been fined for visitors violations, primarily rushing and red-light leaping. Autos with greater than three visitors challans in a given 12 months had been discovered to have a disproportionately excessive involvement in extreme accidents.
The Lieutenant Governor requested the Union Finance Minister to interact the Insurance coverage Regulatory and Growth Authority of India (IRDAI) to take speedy motion for a framework for index-linked insurance coverage premiums.
By implementing this coverage, India can take a major step in the direction of creating safer roads, saving lives, and guaranteeing a extra sustainable transportation system for generations to come back, the letter stated.
