Roads in India: safety and knowledge cross-sectional evaluation

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Transportation Safety
• Road Traffic Injury Prevention

Background:

• India accounts for over 15% of the global burden of road traffic trauma.
• High rates of road traffic injuries necessitate an evaluation of contributing factors in densely populated urban areas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct an image-based survey of vehicle and pedestrian behaviors on major roadways in New Delhi, India.
• To identify and quantify collision-prone behaviors among road users.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional survey design utilizing photograph and video data.
• Data collected from three high-traffic volume roadways in New Delhi.
• Consensus-based definition and criteria for dangerous and collision-prone behaviors were established and applied.

Main Results:

• A total of 11,214 subjects (86% vehicles, 14% pedestrians) were analyzed.
• 99% of observed frames contained at least one predefined behavioral infraction.
• 21% of all subjects committed infractions, with 15% of vehicles and 59% of pedestrians exhibiting risk-taking behaviors.

Conclusions:

• Road users in New Delhi demonstrate unacceptably high levels of collision-prone behavior.
• Urgent need for targeted interventions to modify road user behaviors and enhance safety.