An analysis of road traffic fatalities in Delhi, India

Road use patterns in Delhi, India are very different from those in cities in highly industrialized countries. In Delhi roads are also shared by unmotorized vehicles in large numbers. This study is an attempt to understand fatal crash patterns in Delhi in 1980 using police data. The results indicate that fatality patterns in Delhi are very different from those in highly industrialized countries. Pedestrians, two-wheeler riders and bus commuters comprise 80% of fatalities and motor-vehicle occupants a small minority. It appears that priorities for safety countermeasures in Delhi would have to be significantly different from those in more industrialized high-income countries. Some short-term and long-term measures are suggested in the paper.