[dZired]

Accidental deaths in New Delhi have gone down marginally in 2016, despite an increase in the city's vehicle count. Delhi Traffic Police also claims that, in terms of road fatalities, 2016 was the safest year in the past decade.

Delhi recorded 7,375 accidents during the past one year, which cumulatively injured over 7,000 people. There were 1,548 recorded fatalities in road accidents in 2016, as compared to 1,582 in 2015. Though the drop in fatalities is just over 2%, it must be noted that during the same period, vehicular population in the city increased, thus increasing chances of a mishap.

The Traffic Police claims that strict enforcement of rules was the major reason behind limiting the number of road fatalities in the last year. However, official data reveals a 14% drop in the number of challans issued in 2016, as compared to the preceding year.

What, according to you, was a major factor in limiting the number of road fatalities in New Delhi during the past one year?
• Cars are getting safer?
• Roads are getting better?
• Better road sense in Delhiites?
• Stricter law enforcement by the police?

Source: ET Auto

[i74js]

- Cars are getting safer
- Stricter enforcement by police

I think these two have worked in favour of limited fatalities.

[carmayogi]

More cars mean more traffic so perhaps slower speeds contributing to less accidents? May be perverse logic but it could be true for all you know.

[ramgkulkarni]

I think accidents are very likely to be linked with the way you drive. There are a number of reasons for the number to go down but one of it is definitely better road sense.

1. Better road sense
2. People opting for safer cars

[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by dZired

What, according to you, was a major factor in limiting the number of road fatalities in New Delhi during the past one year?
• Cars are getting safer?
• Roads are getting better?
• Better road sense in Delhiites?
• Stricter law enforcement by the police?

It's a blip in statistics, not a trend. One cannot come to a conclusion based on that. However, if there a steady decline (even if it is a minor drop) in deaths for the next 3 years, then Delhi deserves a pat on its back.

Cars getting safer will not do much to statistics (for now), because pedestrians and two wheeler riders constitute 80% plus accident fatalities in Indian cities.

[pvbengaluru]

I would go with stricter law enforcement. I doubt if safer cars caused this drop of fatalities. Considering the slow speeds of traffic, it would be a fair assumption that in most of the accidents involving car, the passengers would have been safe. The bulk of fatalities in such a case would be composed of two wheeler riders and pedestrians. That particular category of fatalities will benefit from stronger enforcement by police ( e.g. riding with helmet, reduced signal jumps)
Does anyone have more data on the break up of fatalities into pedestrian, two wheeler, cars etc ?

[myavu]

Originally Posted by carmayogi

More cars mean more traffic so perhaps slower speeds contributing to less accidents? May be perverse logic but it could be true for all you know.

Yes, I too agree with this theory. It was a 40 minutes affair till 2014 to travel from my home to office. Today it is close to 1 hour. The average speed had gone down drastically. Dismantling of BRT had created a bottle neck at Chirag Delhi crossing.

On the other hand drinking in car and driving under influence had reduced to certain extend recently due to the enforcement. This too can be a contributor for less accidents.

Cheers!

[GTO]

Fantastic! Any decrease in fatalities is welcome, however small.

Originally Posted by dZired

Cars are getting safer?
• Stricter law enforcement by the police?

I think these two are the primary reason.

Originally Posted by carmayogi

More cars mean more traffic so perhaps slower speeds contributing to less accidents? May be perverse logic but it could be true for all you know.

Hahaha! Is certainly applicable to Bombay. In rush-hour traffic, you'll be lucky to maintain an average speed of 15 km/h. No fatalities at that speed.

Originally Posted by smartcat

Cars getting safer will not do much to statistics (for now), because pedestrians and two wheeler riders constitute 80% plus accident fatalities in Indian cities.

It would, smartcat, however small. Remember, newer cars are safer not only inside the cabin, but even outside. All the responsible car manufacturers are now selling cars that are safer for pedestrians. As an example, the new Innova Crysta's front end is less likely to kill a pedestrian than the old one.

If you are driving a model that is also sold in Europe or USA, you are driving one that's safer for pedestrians.

[samy1117]

Or it could be due to less cars on the road during Odd-Even experiment by Delhi government for close to a month in 2016?

Also, its possible that this decrease in fatalities can be attributed to the fact that newer cars are equipped with better safety features like ABS and Airbags in higher percentage of cars than the previous year.

[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by GTO

It would, smartcat, however small. Remember, newer cars are safer not only inside the cabin, but even outside. All the responsible car manufacturers are now selling cars that are safer for pedestrians. As an example, the new Innova Crysta's front end is less likely to kill a pedestrian than the old one. If you are driving a model that is also sold in Europe or USA, you are driving one that's safer for pedestrians.

Right, but for several reasons, it is not enough to reduce deaths for now.

1) Budget "Made for India/developing countries" cars still form majority of new car sales - and these cars won't be pedestrian friendly.
2) If pedestrian friendliness for cars is introduced as a law, new cars on the road will still be a small percentage of overall cars in the city
3) Crumple zones for pedestrians save lives as long as impact speed is lower than 40 kmph.
4) Other vehicles too are responsible for pedestrian/two wheeler deaths, not just cars.

The only way to reduce deaths over time is the usual boring stuff we hear about -

1) Stricter policing against drunk driving/overspeeding/jumping signals
2) Better infrastructure for pedestrians including wide footpaths and over/under bridges for road crossing
3) Better public transport (trains, buses) to discourage two-wheeler usage.

Obviously, these are not quick fix solutions and need lot of $$$.

One of the world's biggest cities has figured how to virtually eliminate traffic deaths
http://www.businessinsider.in/One-of...w/48300127.cms

Remember Tokyo is almost as populous as New Delhi, and Japanese Kei Cars don't even meet European crash standards (forget pedestrian safety standards). So while focus on building safer cars (for owners & pedestrians) is a step forward, it will not address the core reason for high number of traffic deaths in India.

[sgiitk]

The drop is marginal, and can be attributed statistical fluctuations. However, as has been pointed out with an increase in vehicle population it is a good development. Could be due to better discipline (unlikely), better roads (somewhat), and lower vehicle speeds (certainly). have they managed to check the problems of alcoholism and road rage. I doubt it.