New Delhi: In response to the alarming surge in road accidents and fatalities, the Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a comprehensive directive aimed at enhancing pedestrian safety, enforcing helmet laws, and curbing dangerous driving practices across India.A bench comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan delivered the order while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) that criticized the government’s lax approach despite existing laws and previous court rulings addressing road safety.
According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), India recorded 1,72,890 road accident deaths in 2023, with pedestrian fatalities rising sharply from 10.44% in 2016 to 20.4% last year.The court highlighted that pedestrian infrastructure in many cities is “frequently encroached upon or misused,” forcing pedestrians onto busy roads and exposing them to grave risks. It directed all road-owning agencies—including municipal bodies and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)—to conduct footpath and pedestrian crossing audits in 50 major cities, focusing on high-traffic zones such as markets, railway stations, temples, and schools.
These audits must evaluate the condition of zebra crossings, street lighting, traffic-calming measures, and the safety and accessibility of foot overbridges and subways, many of which are reportedly unsafe or neglected. Expressing deep concern over helmet law violations—which contribute to nearly 70% of two-wheeler deaths—the bench ordered states, Union Territories, and NHAI to enforce helmet compliance strictly using e-surveillance and camera monitoring.
The court also called for stronger measures against reckless driving behaviours, including wrong-lane driving, unsafe overtaking, and misuse of LED headlights, strobe lights, and illegal hooters. MoRTH and state transport departments were instructed to set limits on headlight brightness and beam angles, and to ban unauthorised lights and sirens.
To improve accountability, municipal authorities, state governments, and NHAI must establish online grievance redressal systems for pedestrian infrastructure complaints, ensuring timely resolution.Finally, all states and Union Territories are directed to frame rules under Sections 138(1A) and 210-D of the Motor Vehicles Act within six months to regulate pedestrian access and road design standards.The Supreme Court will review progress on these directives after seven months to ensure effective implementation and compliance.
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