September 24, 2026: Seven years after the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, experts from NIMHANS, IIT Delhi, Parisar and CrashFree India have called for stronger implementation of India’s road–safety framework, with key priorities including speed management, safer infrastructure for vulnerable road users, stronger institutional accountability and greater attention to road safety in rural areas and smaller towns.
The observations were made at a Road Safety Roundtable organised by the Road Safety Network (RSN) to mark seven years of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019. Moderated by Saurabh Verma, Co-founder, Synergie, the discussion brought together experts from transport research, public health, road safety and civil society to examine the implementation of the Act and identify priorities for the next phase of India’s road–safety efforts.
Prof. Geetam Tiwari of IIT Delhi highlighted the need to make road design more responsive to the vulnerability of different road users. She emphasised that roads where pedestrians, cyclists and two-wheelers interact closely with motorised traffic need to be designed around safer speeds, with 30 km/h as an important reference for such environments. The discussion also highlighted measures such as speed tables, rumble strips and other traffic-calming interventions, particularly around schools and areas with high pedestrian activity.
Ranjit Gadgil, Programme Director, Parisar and Member, Road Safety Network, Ranjit Gadgil, Programme Director, Parisar and Member, Road Safety Network, drawing attention to the fact that 7 out of 10 road crash fatalities are vulnerable road users, with over 100 pedestrian deaths every day, highlighted the need to translate the recognition of the right to walk recently by the Supreme Court into safe and continuous pedestrian infrastructure. He suggested that this can be done through State-level sub-legislation under the MV Act, through comprehensive Non-Motorized Transport (NMT) Rules, which States have already been directed to notify by an earlier Supreme Court judgment, thus fixing accountability at the city-level.
Shubham Kumar of CrashFree India highlighted the need to look beyond road-user behaviour and examine how legislation, road design and institutional responsibilities are implemented. He pointed to Section 198A of the Motor Vehicles Act, which provides for responsibility relating to compliance with standards for road design, construction and maintenance.
The discussion stressed the importance of moving from the existence of statutory provisions to effective monitoring and accountability, including examining whether responsible agencies have the technical capacity and institutional mechanisms required to implement road–safety standards.
Dr. Gautham Melur Sukumar of NIMHANS highlighted the importance of strengthening India’s post-crash response. He pointed to provisions relating to Good Samaritans, the Golden Hour and accident-related treatment and compensation mechanisms, while noting the need for greater coordination across emergency services, ambulances, hospitals and rehabilitation. He emphasised the need for a more integrated post-crash system, including standardised training for emergency medical personnel, mapping hospitals according to trauma-care capacity, stronger ambulance regulation and improved emergency and road-crash data systems.
The roundtable further highlighted that road–safety challenges extend beyond India’s largest metropolitan centres. Pankhuri Jain, Manager, Blue Ribbon Movement pointed to challenges in smaller towns and less-developed urban areas, including inadequate traffic infrastructure, limited traffic signals, insufficient speed-calming measures and weaker mechanisms for citizens to raise road–safety concerns.
Participants emphasised the importance of road safety education and awareness, including greater understanding of helmet use, safe road behaviour and the needs of vulnerable road users. They also discussed the potential for a National/State Road Safety Mission to strengthen coordination and implementation of road–safety initiatives.
The discussion identified key priorities for the next phase of road–safety action, including safer speed management and speed-sensitive road design, continuous and accessible pedestrian infrastructure, stronger implementation of road-design and maintenance standards, greater institutional accountability, improved technical capacity within urban local bodies and road agencies, integrated emergency and post-crash care, better road-crash data and monitoring, and greater attention to road safety in smaller cities, towns and rural areas. Seven years after the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, the discussion highlighted the importance of implementation, institutional capacity and measurable outcomes to ensure that provisions in legislation and technical standards translate into safer conditions for people on India’s roads.