NATIONAL : Road safety is the topmost priority of the government, which has set a target to reduce accident deaths by 50 percent by 2030, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Tuesday.

Addressing an event organized by industry body CII, Gadkari further said the change in social behavior is very important along with focusing on strengthening the ‘4Es’ of road safety — Engineering (road & vehicle engineering), Enforcement, Education, and Emergency medical service.

He emphasized the cooperation of all stakeholders in enhancing road safety. The road transport and highways minister said that, as per a report, there were 4.6 lakh road accidents, 1.68 lakh deaths, and 4 lakh serious injuries in 2022.

He said that every hour, there are 53 road accidents and 19 deaths. Gadkari said the number of road accidents increased by 12 percent and accident deaths by 10 percent in 2022, resulting in a loss of 3.14 percent to the GDP.

The minister said 60 percent of deaths were in the age group of 18-35 years. He said the rewards system for good traffic behavior among citizens has yielded positive results in Nagpur.