WHO: 3 lakh road accident deaths in 2016. 2X of govt. claims

According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report, road accidents cause more deaths among children and young adults in the age group of 5-29 years than illness. 

In 2016, 13.5 lakh people were killed in road accidents across the world as opposed to 12.5 lakh in 2013. One in every nine fatalities were reported in India. As per the road transport ministry, the death toll in 2016 stood at 1.51 lakh. However, WHO estimates it to be 3 lakh - double the official figure.  The government estimates the number to drop to 1.46 lakh in 2017. In terms of death rate, India is among the worst countries registering 22.6 deaths per lakh of population. Moreover, 2 and 3-wheeler users along with truck and bus occupants are the most vulnerable.

One of the causes for the high mortality rate is poor enforcement of road safety laws. According to WHO's Global Status Report on Road Safety 2018, India's score for enforcement of laws on a scale of 0-10 (10 being best) is as follows - Speed (3), Drink Driving (4), Helmet (4) and Seat Belt (3).

Source: Times of India