India has been honoured with the prestigious Prince Michael Decade of Action Road Safety Award for its efforts in enhancing vehicle safety standards over the past ten years. The recognition acknowledges key advancements, such as the introduction of a new car safety assessment programme and the mandate for anti-lock braking systems (ABS) in all new two-wheelers manufactured in the country. The global awards for road safety were presented at the 4th Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, held in Marrakech. Heads of Transportation from various countries across the world attended the conference convened to draw up strategies for reducing \”global road fatalities by 50 per cent by 2030\” The Narendra Modi government outlined a roadmap to align India’s vehicle safety norms with European standards by 2023. The coveted global award also assumes significance in the backdrop of a 60 per cent surge in the length of India’s National Highway network in the last 10 years from 91,287 km in 2014 to 146,195 km in 2024, according to official figures.
