Road Accidents Shave 3% Off India's GDP, Says Nitin Gadkari

Three per cent of India’s GDP is lost due to road accidents, according to Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways. “However, this is not just about numbers or money, what truly matters is the loss of life. Life is invaluable, and when a single person dies, an entire family is shattered,” he said.

India records nearly 5 lakh accidents every year and about 1.8 lakh deaths. Tragically, 20 people die every hour, and 66% of these victims are between 18 and 36 years old—young men, doctors, engineers, and educated citizens, he added.

He further said, “We have made many corrections in road engineering and automobile engineering, and we also brought in a new Road Safety Act with stricter fines and penalties. But the results have not been as positive as expected because the core issue is human behaviour, lack of fear and respect for the law.”

Gadkari was speaking at an event where Zomato and Uber partnered with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to launch the nationwide road safety campaign, Sadak Suraksha Abhiyaan.

As part of this initiative, Zomato will disseminate road safety messages via its delivery partner app, and its consumer-facing food delivery platform. Further, Uber claims to be investing in driver education, and build awareness within its rider community to reinforce safe practices. The company plans to reach out to

Speaking about the initiative, Sooraj Nair, Head of Safety Operations, Uber India & South Asia, said at the event that the ride hailing platform aims to reach out to 1.4 million drivers through videos, inbox messages, and in-person sessions. “At our support centers across cities, which hundreds of drivers visit daily, we will set up safety activation zones to reinforce safer driving practices. Additionally, we’ll encourage all drivers to take pledges to follow traffic rules, adopt defensive driving, and put safety first,” he added.

Meanwhile, Zomato CEO Aditya Mangla said that the company makes every delivery partner undergoes mandatory safety briefings and takes a daily safety pledge to wear helmets, respect traffic laws, and prioritize safety. He further said, “Our Weather Union platform provides real-time weather alerts and extreme condition forecasts, helping partners make safer decisions. Each partner also has an SOS button on their app, linked to 24x7 emergency support with ambulance assistance in under 15 minutes.”