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OUR MOTTO
ROAD SAFETY
Endeavours of Ministry of Surface Transport
Around 70,000 lives are lost and about3.50 lakhs persons are injured on Indian
roads every year. These apart from causing enormous misery and hardship to those
affected. Inflict a heavy monetary toll on the economy. According to a rough
estimate the total economy loss to the country on account of road accidents is
estimated to be about Rs. 5000 crores every year which comes to about 0.5 % of
the Gross Domestic Product of the country. This does not include the cost of
pain, grief and suffering by the families of the victims.
 The
Ministry of Surface Transport has taken a number of steps in order to improve
road safety in the country. These include widening and strengthening of roads,
improvement of intersections, replacement of level crossing with road over /
under bridges, provision of retro-reflective road signs and thermoplastic road
marking and setting up wayside amenities on the highways for passengers and
vehicles. The Ministry is also introducing amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act
with a view to tightening the provisions relating to driving skills and fitness
of vehicles including enhancement of penalties for various traffic offences.
 On
the educational side the Government has been undertaking various publicity
campaigns to inculcate road safety consciousness among various sections of road
users. These include publicity through print and electronics media like news
paper, T.V. and radio, screening of cinema slides, computerised animation
display, display on colour railings, advertisement through closed circuit T. V.
system, distribution of calendars, tin plates, Road Safety Games, wall paintings
depicting road safety messages etc.
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