Press Information Bureau

Government of India
Ministry of Shipping
20-February-2007 11:9 IST

S. SUNDAR COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS CREATION OF NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY
AND MANAGEMENT BOARD

The Chairman of the Committee of Experts on creation of a body for
Road Safety and Traffic Management, Shri S. Sundar presented the
Report to the Union Minister of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways,
Thiru T.R. Baalu here today.
The Committee was set up on the directions of the Committee on
Infrastructure, headed by the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in
November 2005, recognizing the need to contain burgeoning road
accidents and fatalities in the country.
The main recommendations of the Committee include
1. Creation of the National Road Safety & Traffic Management Board,
2. An Apex body at national level to promote road safety and
3. Traffic management in the country to be constituted through an
Act of the Parliament with members and experts drawn from the
various fields including road engineering, automobile engineering,
traffic laws, medical care, etc.

NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY & TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT BOARD
The Committee has proposed that the Board would have regulatory as
well as advisory functions.
o As far as regulatory functions are concerned, the Board would set
standards and designs for mechanically propelled vehicles and
National Highways.
o In its advisory role, the Board would advise Government on various
road safety aspects and will promote road safety research, road
user behavior strategies, lay guidelines for establishing medical care
and rehabilitation, etc.
The Report has also recommended that apart from monitoring adoption
and implementation of various strategies, the Board would also have
powers to issue directions with regard to corrective measures and
conduct safety audits.

STATE ROAD SAFETY BOARDS
The Committee, in its Report, has also recommended setting up of the
state level bodies namely State Road Safety Boards as the issue of road
safety is required to be taken up vigorously at all-India level.
The functions of the State Board would be to
1. Aid and advise State Governments on matters relating to road
safety & traffic management,
2. Coordinate road safety & traffic management functions with State
level agencies,
3. Specify minimum standards for design, construction and operation
of roads other than National Highways,
4. Providing minimum standards for establishing and operating
trauma care facilities,
5. Commission safety audits to monitor compliance with standards,
6. Specify minimum standards for design and manufacture of vehicles
other than mechanically propelled vehicles,
7. Recommend measures for enquiry and redressal of complaints and
grievance relating to road safety & traffic management, etc.

ROAD SAFETY FUND
To provide flow of funds, the Committee has suggested earmarking of
1% of total proceeds of cess on diesel and petrol for Road Safety Fund.
o Some part of the assistance to the State Board is proposed to be
released on the basis of performance of the State in promoting the
cause of road safety.

OTHER ISSUES MAINLY DECRIMINALIZING ROAD ACCIDENTS
The Committee has also dwelt upon other various issues like
o Decriminalization of road accidents,
o Insurance and dedicated highway police, etc.
With regard to decriminalization of road accident, the Committee has
observed that traffic accidents are registered as medico-legal cases and
the private hospitals are reluctant to accept the road accident victim to
avoid getting embroiled into medico-legal case.
o The problem is further aggravated due to the requirement that
attending doctors have to spend considerable time in appearing in
Courts/Tribunals when these cases come up for hearing.
It has been suggested by the Committee that these road accidents should
be de-linked from the criminal aspect.
o It has been suggested that it should be the primary duty of the
attending doctor to provide medical aid to the victim without
waiting for registration of case.