730 Need for a national policy on child road safety to prevent road crash deaths and injuries among children in India

With 31% of India's population below 18 year of age children form the largest vulnerable road user group. According to NCRB, 40 child lives are being lost per day to road crash in India. In five years between 2018 and 2022, road crash caused death of 77,386 children. Road fatalities among children increased by 10.54% in a year, from 14,875 in 2021 to 16,443 in 2022. These are avoidable. India's National Road Safety Policy does not prioritise child road safety or take cognizance of special measures necessary for their safety as road users, and provisions for use of Child Restraint Systems (CRS) and child helmets are ambiguous and incomplete. Special attention is essential to improve their safety as road users and vehicles occupants due to specific needs (Children in Traffic, Sandel 1970). CEE reviewed existing policy and legislation, interacted with stakeholders, experts and representatives, with the objective to strengthen child road safety and highlight the need for a national policy, these follows: Child helmets made compulsory (Sections 129 and 137, MVAA 2019), however, standards not notified making enforcement unviable. CRS is not in implementation, ambiguity in Section 194B(2), mentions securing child below 14 years by a seatbelt "or" CRS, this must be addressed. Need rule for child sitting in front seats. Need policy on safe walking and cycling to schools. Safer School Zones, speed regulation under Section 198A (Driving Regulations 2017 mentions 25 kmph), but enforcement is poor near highways and in rural areas. Needs to specify speed (50 kmph) for densely populated areas. Policy on safety guidelines for school transport vehicles. Inadequate policy further inhibits implementation and enforcement effectively by the states. Clear policy and legislation on road safety for children would give a national impetus to this crucial need. CEE has undertaken initiative to create demand for a national policy on child road safety and bringing clarity in the Act, with support from GRSP. It has been engaging with NGOs in different cities to gather evidences, dialogues with school communities, demonstrations and a network to ask for evidence-based policy formulation and implementation.