{"id":69033,"date":"2025-10-15T11:31:36","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T06:01:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=69033"},"modified":"2025-10-15T11:33:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T06:03:13","slug":"supreme-court-issues-landmark-order-to-protect-pedestrians-and-enforce-road-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/supreme-court-issues-landmark-order-to-protect-pedestrians-and-enforce-road-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Supreme Court Issues Landmark Order to Protect Pedestrians and Enforce Road Safety"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>Road Safety Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a major step to address India\u2019s rising road fatalities, the Supreme Court has issued comprehensive directions to improve <\/span><b>pedestrian safety<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and regulate <\/span><b>road discipline<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pedestrians remain the <\/span><b>most vulnerable road users<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, accounting for <\/span><b>20.4% of total fatalities in 2023<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, with <\/span><b>35,221 deaths<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014double the share in 2016.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, over <\/span><b>54,000 two-wheeler riders<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> died last year due to <\/span><b>non-compliance with helmet norms<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, highlighting the urgent need for stronger enforcement and safer infrastructure.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Supreme Court Issues Comprehensive Blueprint for Pedestrian and Road Safety<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Supreme Court bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan issued the directives while hearing a PIL on road safety highlighting rising pedestrian deaths.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court observed that the lack of specific laws and the poor enforcement of existing rules to remove encroachments from footpaths compel pedestrians to walk on roads, increasing their vulnerability to accidents.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Nationwide Footpath Audit in Top 50 Cities<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It directed NHAI and other road-owning agencies to audit existing footpaths across India\u2019s top 50 cities with populations exceeding one million \u2014 including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Lucknow, and Kolkata \u2014 where 4,604 pedestrians were killed in 2023.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The audit must prioritise crowded areas such as markets, railway stations, bus stands, religious and educational institutions, and accident-prone stretches (15\u201320 spots per city).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Authorities must identify deficiencies in width, height, and surface quality of footpaths and propose remedial measures to ensure safety and accessibility.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Adoption of Indian Roads Congress (IRC) Pedestrian Safety Standards<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court endorsed the IRC 103-2022 guidelines on pedestrian infrastructure, mandating:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Footpath width: 4 m (residential) to 6.5 m (high-street areas)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Footpath height: 150 mm<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anti-skid surfaces and tactile paving for the visually impaired<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wheelchair ramps and bollards to deter illegal parking<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The NHAI, State Governments, and Municipal Authorities must also set up an <\/span><b>online grievance redressal system<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for public complaints and suggestions regarding encroachments and maintenance of footpaths.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Strict Enforcement of Helmet Rules<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court ordered stringent implementation of helmet laws for two-wheeler riders and passengers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Authorities must use electronic surveillance systems (such as traffic cameras) to detect violations and submit reports on:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Number of offenders penalised<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amounts collected through challans<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Licenses suspended<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These details are to be regularly reported to the Supreme Court.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Curbing Wrong-Lane Driving<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To address lane discipline violations, the Court recommended:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Automated cameras and graduated fines<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coloured or textured lane markings (for bus\/cycle lanes)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dynamic lighting, rumble strips, and tyre killers at conflict points<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Real-time dashboards displaying lane violation data to raise public awareness and improve compliance.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Regulation of Headlights and Banning Illegal Flashers<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The MoRTH, State Transport Departments, and traffic police must:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prescribe limits for maximum luminance and beam angles in headlights.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conduct vehicle fitness checks and penalise non-compliance.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Launch targeted drives against modified or excessively bright headlights.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A complete ban on unauthorised red-blue strobe lights and illegal hooters must be enforced through seizures, market crackdowns, and penalties.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, nationwide awareness campaigns will be conducted to educate drivers and pedestrians about the dangers of dazzling headlights, flashing lights, and illegal hooters, promoting safer and more disciplined road use across India.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>States Directed to Frame Rules for Pedestrian Safety and Road Design Standards<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following the Supreme Court\u2019s order, all states and union territories (UTs) must formulate and notify rules within six months under two key provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act (MV Act):<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Section 138(1A):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> To regulate the activities and access of non-mechanically propelled vehicles and pedestrians on public roads and highways.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Section 210-D:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> To establish standards for the design, construction, and maintenance of roads other than national highways.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Together, these rules aim to create a legal and infrastructural framework to enhance pedestrian safety and improve road design standards across India.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>A Decade of Judicial Intervention: Timeline of the Supreme Court\u2019s Road Safety Case<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>2012 \u2013 The Petition is Filed<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Orthopaedic surgeon Dr. S. Rajasekaran filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) highlighting India\u2019s rising road fatalities despite multiple laws and court orders. He compared the scale of deaths and injuries to \u201cnational genocides.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>2014 \u2013 Road Safety Recognised as a Public Health Issue<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In April 2014, the Supreme Court acknowledged road safety as a matter of public health and governance, not just traffic control.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It established the <\/span><b>Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (SCCoRS) headed by Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan, focusing on the \u201c<\/span><b>four Es<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d \u2014 <\/span><b>E<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nforcement, <\/span><b>E<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ngineering, <\/span><b>E<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ducation, and <\/span><b>E<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mergency Care.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">States were directed to report within three months on vehicle fitness, licensing, enforcement, and emergency care facilities.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>2017 \u2013 Mandatory State-Level Road Safety Mechanisms<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By November 30, 2017, with fatalities still rising, the Court issued binding directions to all States and Union Territories to:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adopt Road Safety Policies<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Establish State Road Safety Councils and District Road Safety Committees (DRSCs) under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Create dedicated Road Safety Funds<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Set up trauma care centres in every district<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) later launched a Road Safety Committee Portal to track state compliance.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><b>2024 \u2013 Victim Compensation Strengthened<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In January 2024, the Court reviewed the Hit-and-Run Compensation Scheme (2022) and raised compensation to \u20b92 lakh for deaths and \u20b950,000 for grievous injuries.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It directed police to inform victims or families about these entitlements immediately after accidents.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><b>2025 \u2013 \u201cGolden Hour\u201d Cashless Treatment Mandated<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In January 2025, the Supreme Court ordered the nationwide rollout of a cashless \u201cGolden Hour\u201d scheme.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This was to ensure immediate medical treatment for accident victims within the first critical hour, when timely care can significantly improve survival rates.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b style=\"font-size: inherit;\">Source:<\/b> <strong><a style=\"font-size: inherit;\" href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-law\/pedestrian-safety-directions-sc-order-10295239\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a> | <a style=\"font-size: inherit;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/india-news\/sc-orders-nationwide-audit-of-footpath-ban-of-police-like-beacon-lights-101759861687408.html#google_vignette\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">HT<\/a> | <a style=\"font-size: inherit;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/10\/09\/supreme-court-guidelines-to-ensure-pedestrian-safety-on-footpaths\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">SCCO<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Supreme Court\u2019s landmark ruling orders audits of footpaths, stricter helmet enforcement, and new road design rules to protect pedestrians and improve road safety in India.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":69041,"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-69033","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\/69033","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\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69033"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69033\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69033"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69033"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69033"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}