Why in news?

India continues to record the world’s highest number of road accident fatalities, but official estimates for 2024 vary significantly across government reports.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways reported around 1.77 lakh deaths, while the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) cited 1.75 lakh deaths in one report and 1.81 lakh in another.

Such discrepancies have persisted for years despite the introduction of the Electronic Detailed Accident Report (e-DAR)/Integrated Road Accident Database (iRAD) system aimed at real-time accident reporting. Analysts argue that even differences of a few thousand deaths are serious because they affect the accuracy of policy planning and reflect inconsistencies in recording human fatalities.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Sources of Road Accident Data in India
• Reasons Behind the Disparity in Road Accident Data

Sources of Road Accident Data in India

• Police as the Primary Source - In road accident cases, the police are generally considered the main source of primary data because they are usually the first responders at accident sites.
• Role of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways - The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways collects accident data through its Transport Research Wing (TRW) from State police departments using formats developed under the UNESCAP Asia-Pacific Road Accident Data project.
• Types of Information Collected - The ministry gathers detailed information on: accident identification, road conditions, vehicles involved, and driver details. This data is used in publications such as Road Accidents in India.
• Shift Towards eDAR/iRAD System - Because States often delay sharing accident data, the ministry has increasingly shifted towards the eDAR and iRAD systems for real-time reporting and policymaking.
• How NCRB Collects Accident Data?
  • The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) collects accident data through:
    • State Crime Record Bureaus (SCRBs),
    • District Crime Record Bureaus (DCRBs), and
    • local police stations.
  • Thus, both NCRB and MoRTH ultimately depend on police-generated records.
• Legal Basis for Recording Accident Deaths
  • Fatal road accidents caused by negligence are registered by police under Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, earlier covered under Section 304-A of the Indian Penal Code.
  • According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly half of countries worldwide also rely primarily on police data for road accident reporting, while smaller shares depend on health and transport departments.

Reasons Behind the Disparity in Road Accident Data

• Different Reporting Channels - Although both the MoRTH and the NCRB rely on police data, discrepancies arise because the reporting process and institutional coordination differ.
• Mandatory Reporting to NCRB - Since police departments function under the Home Ministry, they are required to regularly provide data to the NCRB. In contrast, MoRTH must coordinate separately with States through multiple channels, which can delay or limit reporting.
• Limitations in Data Collection - Officials note that accident data shared with the Transport Research Wing is often restricted to specific information requested in reporting formats, potentially leaving out additional details.
• Persistent Challenges in Reporting – Despite introduction of eDAR and iRAD systems and other technological improvements, some States still report inconsistently. There is also a risk of under-reporting, especially when accident victims die more than 30 days after the incident and are not updated in records.
• Concerns Over Data Bias - The quality of accident data may also be affected by subjective judgments or biases of police personnel entering information into the system.
• India’s Global Position in Road Fatalities
  • According to the International Road Federation, India continues to record the world’s highest total number of road accident deaths, followed by China and the United States.
  • While India has the highest total fatalities, countries such as Iran report higher death rates per lakh population.
  • Several developing countries, including Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and China, have lower per capita road fatality rates than India.