Worst countries for driving: India ranked safer than US
A new global survey has ranked India as a safer country for driving than the United States. The Zutobi annual report, which evaluates road safety across nations, places India at 49th place, while the US stands at 51st. South Africa continues to be the most dangerous country to drive in, holding the last position at 53rd place for the second consecutive year.
The study, conducted by Zutobi, a US-based driver training platform, analyzed multiple safety indicators, including motorway speed limits, blood alcohol concentration limits for drivers, and road traffic death rates. The findings show that Norway remains the safest country for driving for the fourth year in a row.
India’s road safety improvement
While India has often been criticized for its high road accident rates, recent policy changes and infrastructure improvements have started to reflect in global rankings. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has been at the forefront of pushing for stricter road safety measures, improved vehicle standards, and better highway infrastructure.
Under his leadership, mandatory six airbags in cars, stricter driving tests, expressway expansions, and advanced safety technologies have been actively promoted to reduce road fatalities. Additionally, the country is also imposing harsher penalties for traffic violations, all contributing to improved road safety statistics.
Global road safety trends
The report highlights that the global average for road traffic deaths per 1,00,000 people has dropped from 8.9 to 6.3, indicating a positive shift in road safety measures worldwide. However, it also notes that speed limits and blood alcohol concentration (BAC) regulations have remained unchanged in most countries, suggesting that other factors, such as awareness campaigns and enforcement policies, are playing a role in improved safety.
Despite India’s improved ranking, the country still faces challenges in reducing road fatalities, particularly due to over-speeding, poor lane discipline, and non-compliance with safety norms.
