Systemic road defects are costing lives, says Kerala High Court

In 2025, Keralam recorded 49,889 accidents and 3,733 deaths, with speeding cited as the main cause of accidents, the Kerala High Court said while considering a public interest litigation seeking effective measures to prevent road accidents.

Divisional Judge V Raja Vijayaraghavan and KV Jayakumar issued directions to the Public Works Department (PWD), district collectors, local self-government institutions, the Transport Commissioner, the police, the National Highways Authority of India and the Kerala Road Safety Authority to identify the systemic deficiencies causing the accidents.

The court found that there was insufficient accountability between the various authorities responsible for road safety. “For example, if potholes, black spots or accident-prone or accident-causing sections are pointed out, no action will be taken,” the court said.

The bench noted recurring causes of fatal accidents including speeding, reckless driving, overloading, illegal parking, roadside vending, problems with highway construction, damage to newly constructed roads due to engineering works and insufficient profiling of drivers in public transport. Inadequate medians, improper lane markings, unsafe power lines, inadequate post-accident trauma response, poor quality road construction, and unscientific private bus schedules have also contributed to accidents.

The court said a comprehensive mechanism is needed to identify road safety risks, liability, remedial measures and monitor compliance. Such a platform would integrate the existing systems of PWD, Motor Vehicle Department, Kerala Police and other agencies into a unified command and monitoring framework accessible to the authorities, the public and the court.

The court also called for the formation of an interdisciplinary road safety research committee within 60 days, composed of traffic psychologists, behavioral scientists, engineers and other experts, to study behavioral factors contributing to road accidents.

For coordination at the district level, the court directed to constitute a district road safety monitoring committee within 15 days to review pending complaints and ensure compliance with court orders.

Accordingly, the court gave 75 days to the concerned authorities to file compliance reports.

Published – 27 Sep 2026 07:30 IST