IIT Kharagpur Study Finds Scientific Speed Management Can Significantly Reduce Fatal Crash Risk on Indian Highways

Research on NH-16 in West Bengal shows speed management interventions reduced operating speeds by up to 45%, reinforcing the need for evidence-based road safety policies nationwide

India, June 25, 2026: New research from IIT Kharagpur has found that scientific speed management interventions can significantly reduce fatal crash risk, fatalities and crash severity on Indian highways, providing important evidence for policymakers seeking to achieve India’s goal of halving road crash fatalities and serious injuries by 2030. The findings, presented at a high-level road safety dialogue organised by the Road Safety Network (RSN) in partnership with IIT Kharagpur, come at a time when India continues to face a significant road safety challenge, with over 1.8 lakh lives lost in road crashes in 2024.

The study, conducted on a 51-km stretch of NH-16 between Balihati and Kolaghat in West Bengal, examined the impact of design-based speed management measures on vehicle behaviour and crash outcomes. Researchers found that the interventions reduced operating speeds by 39–45% for cars, 29–33% for heavy vehicles and 18–28% for two-wheelers. The study also recorded significant reductions in fatal crashes, fatalities, crash severity and the risk of a crash becoming fatal at locations where such measures were implemented.

Speeding remains one of the leading contributors to road crashes in India. According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ Road Accidents in India 2024 report, over-speeding accounted for 62% of all road crashes and resulted in more than one lakh fatalities nationwide. Vulnerable road users continue to bear a disproportionate burden, with pedestrians accounting for 20.6% of all road crash fatalities.

Prof. (Dr.) Bhargab Maitra, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Kharagpur, and Member of the Road Safety Network, said, “The Safe System approach reminds us that while people may make mistakes, our roads, policies and systems must be designed to ensure those mistakes do not result in fatalities or serious injuries. Scientific speed management is a critical part of this approach. The evidence increasingly shows that when speeds are aligned with the function of the road and the needs of all road users, particularly vulnerable road users, we can significantly improve safety outcomes. As India works towards its road safety goals, greater emphasis must be placed on evidence-based interventions that save lives and make our roads safer for everyone.”

The findings were presented during a high-level dialogue convened by the Road Safety Network (RSN) in partnership with IIT Kharagpur at the IIT Kharagpur Research Park. The discussion brought together government officials, public health experts, researchers and road safety practitioners to examine evidence-based approaches for reducing road crash fatalities and serious injuries.

The plenary session, “Advancing Road Safety Through Evidence-Based Policy Interventions,” featured insights from Smt. Papia Ghosh Roy Choudhury, Special Secretary, Department of Urban Development and Municipal Affairs, Government of West Bengal; Gautam Singh, Associate Director – Policy & Research, SaveLIFE Foundation; Ranjit Gadgil, Program Director, Parisar; Dr. Mohammed Asheel, National Professional Officer (Injuries, Disabilities, Assistive Technology and Rehabilitation), World Health Organization (WHO); and S. Saroja, Executive Director, Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group (CAG).

During the dialogue, the Road Safety Network (RSN) also presented a set of recommendations for consideration by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and relevant state and local authorities to strengthen speed management and reduce road traffic fatalities and serious injuries. The recommendations outlined a comprehensive Safe System approach, including rationalising speed limits based on road function and user risk, adopting context-sensitive speed zoning frameworks, strengthening road infrastructure and access control, expanding technology-enabled enforcement, improving crash data and evidence systems, and enhancing institutional coordination across transport, enforcement, health and urban development sectors. The recommendations emphasised the importance of aligning speed management policies with road environments and the safety needs of vulnerable road users to support India’s road safety goals.