4.6% of National Road Accidents occur in School and College Zones, according to 2024 e-DAR
The 2024 e-DAR report reveals that 4.6% of road accidents in India occurred in school zones, including colleges. Despite mandatory road safety audits at all stages of national highway construction, the national fatality rate remains unchanged, according to Mr. D. Sarangi, DG (RD) & SS at the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. Additionally, while e-DAR is fully operational, accidents in Punjab are not being fully reported.
According to the latest 2024 electronic Detailed Accident Report (e-DAR), out of the total 570,000 road accidents in India, 4.6% occurred in school zones, including colleges.
Mr. D. Sarangi, Director General of Road Development & Special Secretary at the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, expressed concern over the high number of accidents near school zones, stating, “So many accidents and fatalities near school zones is a worrisome situation, as losing a young child is traumatic for parents for life. In 2023, India reported around 1.72 lakh road fatalities, with 60% of the victims being vulnerable road users and 35% under the age of 35.” He made these remarks during a seminar titled Assessment and Management of Road Safety in the School Zone – Who is Responsible?, organized by the India chapter of the International Road Federation (IRF-IC).
In the context of road accidents, “DAR” stands for “Detailed Accident Report,” a comprehensive document used to detail the circumstances surrounding a road accident. The “e-DAR” refers to an electronic version of this report, allowing for quicker data collection and analysis to enhance road safety efforts.
“The primary cause of road accidents in the country is high speed— the faster the speed, the more accidents occur. While mobility remains a priority, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is increasing the design speed of roads nationwide. However, the operating speed will soon exceed the design speed. Additionally, while road safety audits are now mandatory at every stage of road construction, including the operational phase, our roads still aren’t forgiving. This raises concerns about whether our auditors are adequately trained or whether consultants are taking safety audits seriously. At many stages, the fatality rate remains unchanged,” said Mr. Sarangi.
“Although e-DAR is fully operational across the country, accidents in Punjab are not being fully reported. MoRTH has urged the state government to reassess the DAR investigations. MoRTH is also working to address major black spots on national highways by the end of March 2025, although new black spots continue to emerge at various locations. These issues must be addressed. Furthermore, MoRTH plans to introduce road safety education into the school curriculum in the upcoming academic session,” Mr. Sarangi added.
“To reduce fatal road accidents worldwide, the concept of forgiving roads is getting popular with zero fatalities. The 5E’s of a safe road system include Engineering of Roads, Engineering of Vehicles and Policy Corrections, Education, Enforcement and Emergency care which should be simultaneously carried out on all the roads.” Said Mr K K Kapila. President Emeritus, International Road Federation (IRF)
“International Road Federation, as part of its effort to reduce fatal road accidents near schools, is running a safe school zone program and aims to conduct an audit/survey of all 15 lakh schools in the country . In Delhi it has already taken up and completed safety zone measures in Five schools including blue bells The 5E’s of safe road operation including Engineering, Enforcement, Encouragement, Education and Emergency care are being fully carried out while construction of the highway is in full swing.” Said Mr Kapila.
He stressed on the need of adding Aadhar card to Driving Licence so that multiple holding of Driving license could be prohibited in the country .
Others who spoke on the occasion included Akhilesh Srivastava Executive Vice President, IRF-IC and Pawan Kumar Singh Executive Director Transportation & Electronics Business Group, 3M India Ltd.




https://money.rediff.com/news/market/road-accident-fatality-rate-concerns-in-india-irf/21479820250128
https://www.republicbharat.com/india/over-26000-road-accidents-occurred-near-schools-last-year-irf
https://www.theweek.in/wire-updates/business/2025/01/28/dcm82-biz-irf-accidents.html