Safe Road Rules in Place, But Enforcement and Funding Lag Behind
India’s rapid urbanization and vehicle growth have brought with them a troubling reality — pedestrian deaths are rising at an alarming rate . Despite strong legal frameworks and new road safety standards, implementation gaps, weak enforcement, and lack of dedicated funding continue to threaten lives on Indian roads. Pedestrian Fatalities on the Rise Official government data highlights a distressing trend: pedestrian deaths in India surged from 25,858 in 2019 to 35,221 in 2023 , marking an increase of nearly 36% in four years . This means that 96 pedestrians die every single day due to road accidents — a grim indicator of unsafe urban infrastructure. In response to this crisis, the Supreme Court of India intervened on October 7, 2025 , issuing a 35-point directive in a public interest litigation filed in 2012. The directive seeks to enforce safer road designs , pedestrian facilities , and stricter accountability for non-compliance with safety norms. Supreme Court’s Directive...
