Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari revealed that over 30,000 people died last year because of not wearing helmets during motorcycle riding. Given the total number of deaths in 2024, he said 1.80 lakh deaths occurred in 2024.
Gadkari said 66% of deaths have occurred in the age group of 18 to 34 and 10,000 children have died due to a lack of proper arrangements at the exit-entry point in front of our schools and colleges. He blames autorickshaws and minibuses for schools for a large number of deaths.
Gadkari has also announced a new scheme to provide cashless treatment for road accident victims. The initiative aims to cover medical expenses for up to seven days or a maximum of Rs 1.5 lakh. The scheme will launch nationwide by March 2025, following a successful pilot in states like Assam, Punjab, Haryana and Puducherry.
"Immediately after an accident occurs, within 24 hours, when the information goes to the Police, we will provide expenses for 7-day treatment of the patient who gets admitted or a maximum of upto Rs 1.5 Lakhs for treatment. We will also provide Rs 2 Lakhs for the deceased in hit-and-run cases..," Gadkari said.