On Saturday, 13th February, World Bank released a new report that sheds light on the economic impact of road crashes and their effect on the poor and vulnerable in India.
The study was done by World Bank in collaboration with SaveLIFE Foundation – a national non-governmental organization focused on road safety.
Sudip Mozumdar, Lead External Affairs Advisor, World Bank, introduced the “first of its kind in India,” road safety report that highlights the disproportionate impact of a road crash on poor households that pushes them into a vicious cycle of poverty and debt.
The release of the report was also attended by Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, who called it ‘extremely alarming’ and eye-opening.
The report is based on the survey data collected from four Indian states, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra.
It goes on to recommend policy-oriented approaches for saving lives and improving the ability of victims and their families to get back on their feet, including providing immediate financial, medical, and legal aid.
Key Findings of the Report
“While India only has 1 percent of fleet, it accounts for 11% of the global deaths from road accidents. And the impact of these accidents are devastating and disproportionate impact on the poor.”Hartwig Schafer, Vice President, South Asia, World Bank, and Piyush Tewari, CEO and Founder of SaveLIFE Foundation,
The most jarring finding of the report is that overall, the post-crash impact was significantly more severe on low-income households.
This includes fatalities, economic crises as a result of a lack of social safety nets, lack of proper post-crash care, inequality in insurance coverage, and a lack of awareness of legal compensations.
44% of the households in rural areas reported at least one death after a road crash compared to 11.6% of households in urban areas.
The report also finds that the socio-economic burden of road crashes is disproportionately borne by poor households, with a sharp decline in total household income of 75% of Lower-income households where the victim to die were men.
In addition to the financial distress that the poor households experience, they also reported a higher level of psychological suffering and emotional distress.
The report talks about the impact of accidents on the mental health of the surviving victims and their families. People asked to self-evaluate their mental state, reported persistent feelings of sadness and even depression.
It also highlighted the disproportionate burden on the women of these househoulds.
It is women who bear the brunt of caregiving activities, experiencing double burden of labour, and mental load and exacerbated inequality of opportunities in returning to livelihoods and income generating tasks.
The report also talks of the inequality in insurance coverage and delay in accessing compensation, low rates of insurance coverage and poor awareness related to legal compensation processes in low-income households, particularly truck drivers, as well as the poor awareness of legal compensation among LIH as factors that contribute to escalating their distress.
The report pushes for a policy-oriented approach for saving lives and providing rehabilitation to road accident victims, including providing immediate financial, medical, and legal aid.
6 Key Policy Recommendations of the Report
- Need for effective institutional mechanisms and awareness building.
- Institutionalise post-crash emergency care and make health infrastructure & coverage more accessible & inclusive.
- Provide a Social Security Net for crash victims from LIH through State Support.
- Create an accessible legal framework for availing insurance and compensation for road crash victims.
- Recognize the gendered impact of road crashes and address it through participative governance & special schemes for women.
- Strengthen post-crash support for children and young adults through state support.
Nitin Gatgari spoke about the importance of the ‘eye-opening’ report.
He also assured ‘it will be taken very seriously’, and that the ministry will work with the World Bank and those involved in the study to frame new policies and schemes based on this report.
“This report highlights the link between poverty and the impact of road crashes. I urge all state governments to effectively implement the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 and work together to mitigate the effects of road crashes on poor and disadvantaged sections of the population,” he added.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)