The government of India is mulling new safety standards for e-rickshaws on the lines of Bharat-NCAP. At the 7th FICCI Road Safety Awards and Symposium, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, said, “We are also bringing in Bharat NCAP-like standards for e-rickshaws, as these are in huge numbers. We are assessing how we can improve safety in this.” Nearly 5 lakh road accidents occur in India every year, resulting in 1.8 lakh deaths, Gadkari added. 66.4% of the fatalities are people in the 18-45 age group. Non-use of helmets causes around 30,000 deaths, while 16,000 deaths are caused because of non-use of seatbelts. “Road accidents are a social problem. I accept that the success we got in other areas, we could not get here (road accidents),” Gadkari added. Source:ET Auto
