{"id":100276,"date":"2026-04-26T11:02:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-26T05:32:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=100276"},"modified":"2026-04-26T14:08:46","modified_gmt":"2026-04-26T08:38:46","slug":"supreme-court-on-road-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/supreme-court-on-road-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Supreme Court on Road Safety &#8211; Article 142 and Highway Regulation"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Road Safety Latest News<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court invoked its extraordinary powers under <\/span><b>Article 142<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to issue directions on highway safety following two fatal road accidents.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Article 142 and Complete Justice<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Article 142 of the Constitution empowers the Supreme Court to pass any order necessary to ensure <\/span><b>\u201ccomplete justice\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in a case.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This provision is unique as it allows the Court to go beyond existing statutory frameworks when required.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is often used in situations where legislative or administrative gaps exist, and immediate intervention is necessary.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The power is <\/span><b>discretionary<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> but must align with constitutional principles. Over time, it has been used in matters relating to environmental protection, governance reforms, and public safety.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Link with Right to Life under Article 21<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court has consistently interpreted Article 21 broadly.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It includes not only protection against unlawful deprivation of life but also the <\/span><b>right to live with dignity and safety<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the context of road safety, the Court has clarified that ensuring safe infrastructure and preventing avoidable accidents is a positive obligation of the State.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Road Safety in India: Structural Concerns<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India records a high number of road accidents annually.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">National Highways constitute only about <\/span><b>2% of total road length but account for nearly 30% of road fatalities<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, indicating severe safety gaps.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Key issues include:\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Poor enforcement,\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unsafe parking practices,\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lack of surveillance and\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inadequate infrastructure, such as lighting and emergency services.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>News Summary<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Background of the Case<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The case originated from two major accidents in November 2025.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One incident involved a bus hitting a stationary trailer on the Bharatmala Expressway in Rajasthan, killing 15 people. Another accident in Telangana resulted in 19 deaths when a lorry collided with a bus while avoiding a pothole.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These incidents prompted the Supreme Court to take <\/span><b>suo motu cognisance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of road safety issues.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Observations of the Supreme Court<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court criticised the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-highways-authority-of-india-nhai\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>National Highways Authority of India<\/b><\/a><b> (NHAI)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and state public works departments for lapses in safety management.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court observed that highways must not become \u201ccorridors of peril\u201d due to administrative negligence or infrastructural gaps.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court also highlighted the dangers of <\/span><b>illegal parking of heavy vehicles<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, particularly near roadside establishments, which significantly increases accident risks.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Key Directions Issued by the Court<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court issued a comprehensive set of directives.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parking of heavy and commercial vehicles on highways has been prohibited except in designated areas such as lay-bys and wayside amenities.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court directed the use of <\/span><b>Advanced Traffic Management Systems<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (ATMS) to monitor highways and detect violations through GPS-enabled systems.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It mandated the deployment of ambulances and recovery vehicles at intervals of 75 km to ensure quick response in emergencies.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Further, authorities have been instructed to identify accident-prone black spots within 45 days and install safety measures such as lighting, cameras, and warning signs.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Regulation of Roadside Activities<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court has prohibited the construction of new dhabas and commercial establishments within the Right of Way (ROW) of highways.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It also directed the demolition of unauthorised structures and imposed restrictions on land use within a specified distance from highways.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These measures aim to reduce roadside congestion and unsafe practices.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Strengthening Enforcement Mechanisms<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court called for the creation of dedicated highway surveillance teams involving police and transport departments for round-the-clock monitoring.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Integration of surveillance systems with e-challan mechanisms has been emphasised to ensure effective enforcement.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/sc-issues-pan-india-directions-for-road-safety-says-expressways-should-not-become-corridor-of-peril\/article70880349.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TH<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-law\/supreme-court-road-safety-13-directions-nhai-states-10649340\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Supreme Court uses Article 142 to enforce road safety reforms after fatal accidents, strengthening Right to Life under Article 21.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":100325,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[60,3257,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-100276","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-mains-articles","9":"tag-road-safety","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100276","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100276"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100276\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":100324,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100276\/revisions\/100324"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/100325"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}