New Delhi, October 8: Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday revealed that most road accidents in India occur due to the breaking of traffic and driving rules. While speaking at the Hindustan Purvodyay 2018, Gadkari informed that nearly 30 percent of the driving licenses in India are fake. He further added saying that accidents, have, however, come down by only 4%.

While speaking at the meet, Gadkari said the Motor Vehicle Act is pending in Rajya Sabha. He informed that there will be a  new law against people parking vehicles on roads, while people taking pictures of vehicles parked on roads will be awarded. Gadkari said the government will come out with a policy on biofuel soon. Petrol and Diesel Prices are Very High and Hurting People, Says Nitin Gadkari.

In February this year,  Gadkari had informed that Lok Sabha that as many as 1.46 lakh people lost their lives in 4.60 lakh road accidents across the country in 2017. He said that a majority of the road accidents involved two-wheelers where the victims were not wearing helmets. While speaking during the Question Hour in Lok Sabha, Gadkari further informed that 4.80 lakh road accidents were reported in India in 2016 in which 1.50 lakh people lost their lives, and in 2015, there were 5.01 lakh road accidents in which 1.46 lakh people were killed. Will Have Ethanol Industry Worth 1 Lakh Cr in 5-7 Years: Gadkari.

Gadkari said the ministry of road transport and highways has taken a number of steps to prevent such road accidents, which include approval of a national road safety policy. Talking about the age profile of the victims, he said the road accident victims in 2016 reveals that the age group of 18-45 years accounted for a share of 68.6 per cent (1,03,409 persons) in road accident fatalities.

In September, Abhay Damle, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) said that by 2022, most of India's vehicle safety will be at par with global standards and some features may even surpass the levels of the US. Damle stressed that advanced safety features are required in all vehicles in India and cannot be confined to luxury vehicles only.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 08, 2018 03:55 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).