Road Accidents in India: 40% of Deaths Linked to Unfit Vehicles with Fraudulent Fitness Certificates

India has recently witnessed a troubling surge in accidents involving unfit commercial vehicles, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the 194,000 road fatalities reported in FY 2022-23. A major contributor to these fatalities is the issuance of fraudulent fitness certificates for vehicles that are unfit for the road. In light of this issue, Dr. Kamal Soi, Chairman of the Raahat Foundation, has called on the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to undertake a comprehensive overhaul of the country's vehicle testing system.

Dr. Kamal Soi said the need for automated testing stations, as mandated by the 2021 government notification, to tackle the pressing issue of unfit commercial vehicles contributing to road accidents. His appeal underscored the severity of the problem, stating, “Unfit commercial vehicles have become a major factor in road accidents, turning the vehicle fitness certification process into a multi-billion dollar corruption industry.”

According to a report of TOI, to expose these practices, the foundation conducted a pilot study across several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, and Rajasthan, revealing widespread irregularities in the issuance of fitness certificates.

The study reveals that unfit vehicles are often granted fitness certificates without proper inspections, with some testing centers issuing certificates by simply taking photos and manually entering data. Additionally, there is evidence of collusion between local RTO agents and testing centers, enabling unfit vehicles to remain on public roads, which significantly contributes to road accidents and economic losses.