Multiple traffic violations will soon lead to temporary suspension of driving licenses for six months as part of a tiered points system, New Delhi Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday.
“For example, if you are caught driving the wrong way, you will be charged a point… Once you accumulate 12 points… you will not be allowed to drive for six months,” he said at a road safety event organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry.
Moreover, if there are several serious violations such as drinking and driving, the driving license will be permanently cancelled, he added.
He also said that regions and states across the country where road accidents continue to rise will be called out for non-performance
“States and districts with continuously high rates of road accidents will be exposed, along with public authorities – like collectors, members of Parliament and all others who share the mandate of ensuring road safety. It is not something we want to do, but since we have to do whatever is required to reduce road accidents, we need to support district administrations to scientifically get to the root of the problem and solve it,” Gadkari said.
In recent years, road accident deaths in India have been on the rise with the number reaching 177,177 in 2024, which means approximately 485 people will die every day across India in road accidents in 2024. On an annual basis, the number of deaths has seen an increase of 2.5% from the number in 2023.
Gadkari said on Thursday that the government is identifying corridors, intersections, roads, high-risk user groups and temporal patterns of accidents.
The government has identified 100 most vulnerable districts in the country and will soon hold a meeting of district collectors, MPs and ministers to discuss black spots, he said, adding that in Nagpur, collective action of public authorities on these black spots has led to a significant 50% reduction in road accidents.
