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📅 19 Feb, 2026
New Delhi Road Safety Declaration Launched at IIT Delhi
National confluence brings together stakeholders to accelerate measurable action towards zero preventable road fatalities
New Delhi | 19 February 2026: The New Delhi Road Safety Declaration was released today at the National Road Safety Confluence held at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi.
Aligned with the WHO Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021–2030), the Declaration commits stakeholders to measurable, accountable action to reduce road deaths and serious injuries by at least 50 percent, by 2030, with a long-term goal of achieving zero preventable road fatalities in India.
The inaugural session was graced by Dr. Mats-Åke Belin, Global Lead – Decade of Action for Road Safety, World Health Organization (WHO), who stated: “Road safety is now firmly on the global agenda, with strong political and media attention. Our responsibility is to move beyond awareness and ensure consistent, evidence-based implementation so that no country is left behind in preventing road traffic deaths.”
Sh. V. Umashankar, Secretary (Road Transport & Highways), Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India emphasized: “As a nation, we cannot accept road fatalities as inevitable. Each accident is personal, each loss preventable. Awareness is not enough — what we need is organised, district-level action, backed by certainty of enforcement and supported by strong institutions. When compliance becomes habit and accountability becomes certain, road safety will move from intention to impact.”
The Confluence was hosted by BARS – Bharat Association of Road Safety Volunteers, an independent, science-driven institution bringing together Samaaj (civil society), Sarkaar (government), and Bazaar (industry) to scale effective road safety practices across India, with WRI India as knowledge partner.
Speaking at the Confluence, Rama Shankar Pandey, Chairman – BARS, said, “Road safety is not merely a transport issue; it is a governance responsibility and a moral obligation. The New Delhi Declaration represents a shift from isolated initiatives to coordinated, accountable action at India scale.”
India records the highest road fatalities globally, with vulnerable road users-such as pedestrians, cyclists and two-wheeler riders, gig workers, and rural communities most affected. Despite several initiatives, the absence of coordinated, institution-led action limits national impact.
The New Delhi Road Safety Declaration addresses this gap by adopting a safe system approach, placing human life at the centre of all mobility decisions.
Five Pillars of Action
The Declaration outlines five core pillars:
1. Road Safety Management: Through stronger leadership across levels, open crash data, annual public reviews, dedicated funding, and enhanced enforcement.
2. Safer Vehicles & Fleets: Removing sub-standard components, addressing India-specific risks, promoting assist and alert technologies, and ensuring supply chains accountability.
3. Safer Road Users: Improving compliance on speed, helmet, and seat belt use; AI-enabled enforcement; and integrating safety into education, health, safety and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) systems.
4. Post-Crash Response: Building Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for mobility safety, and standardizing first-responder training, unified emergency access, trauma care integration and research-led improvements.
5. Safer Driving Environment: Scaling up people-first road design, speed management by design, protected facilities for vulnerable users, and ensuring zero tolerance for unsafe road infrastructure.
BARS emphasises that it is not an implementing agency, funding body, or political entity, but a neutral platform fostering collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and measurable action.
Participants included representatives from government ministries, WHO and multilateral agencies, civil society, academia, industry bodies, OEMs, insurers, technology innovators, and youth groups. Closed-door sessions focused on implementation pathways, measurable targets, and district-level acceleration strategies.
Signatories commit to time-bound action plans, annual independent monitoring, strengthening district-level enforcement capacity, prioritizing vulnerable road users, and aligning ESG and insurance frameworks with safety outcomes. The Declaration remains open for endorsement across Samaaj, Sarkaar, and Bazaar.
About BARS
The Bharat Association of Road Safety Volunteers (BARS) is a neutral, science-driven platform of credible road safety professionals, including Padma Shri awardees and domain experts. It is India’s first independent platform bringing together Samaaj, Sarkaar, and Bazaar to align, strengthen, and scale India’s fragmented road safety ecosystem. Built on credibility, evidence, and long-term commitment, BARS serves as an incubator and accelerator, amplifying proven pilots, developing a national knowledge repository, and driving advocacy through the New Delhi Road Safety Declaration toward Zero Preventable Road Fatalities.
For More Information, kindly write to:
Rama Shankar Pandey, E Mail: contact@bars.org.in
Of the four E’s of Road Safety, Engineering of Roads is not really in our hands, Enforcement is not in our hands, Emergency services are not in our hands. The only thing in our hands is Education- Driver Education. I believe a well-trained, Defensive driver can drive safely, overcoming flaws in engineering and enforcement. And that is why I stand in support of the New Delhi Road Safety Declaration.”
- Naresh Raghavan, Topdriver India
Human life is non-negotiable. Road safety cannot remain fragmented or reactive. I support the New Delhi Road Safety Declaration because it calls for coordinated, accountable action to prevent deaths that should never occur.
