Representative AI-generated image

Mumbai: A roadside observation study conducted in Maharashtra from December 2022 to February 2025 shows that correct helmet use among motorcyclists was as low as 19 per cent and was almost non-existent (4 per cent) among pillion riders. Speeding was most observed in ride-share vehicles (23 percent) compared to government and private vehicles, taxis and commercial vehicles.The study was conducted by the Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit, part of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, through Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Initiative for Global Road Safety. It was recently published online by Maharashtra Highway Police.For the motion study, a total of 7.75 lakh observations were made by the team during the baseline and five additional observation visits as well as three special surveys in December 2023, March 2024 and August 2024.Speed ​​was found to be higher on state highways (21 percent) and national highways (15 percent) compared to expressways. Based on vehicle type, sedans (25 percent), SUVs (21 percent), and motorcycles (16 percent) had higher rates of speeding than any other.

Increasing deaths and injuries

The study recommends more visible and comprehensive enforcement, improving the e-challan system to ensure timely issuance and enforcement of penalties for violations, establishing clear speed management guidelines for all types of vehicles and implementing speed calming measures such as speed bumps, rumble strips, safe speed signage and designation of low speed zones to protect vulnerable road users.For the study on helmet use, 2.17 lakh observations were made, and for the study on seat-belt and child restraint use, 1.75 lakh observations were made by the team.Correct helmet use was highest in major urban areas (24 percent), followed by smaller towns (21 percent) and lowest in rural areas (10 percent). Based on road type, correct helmet usage was lowest on main roads (12 percent), followed by highways (17 percent), and highest on collector and local roads (30 percent).Recommendations included enforcement among both riders and pillion riders, and large-scale media campaigns in rural areas.Child restraint use for minors under 12 was found to be 0 percent. Seat-belt use was much lower among passengers (13 percent) than among drivers (41 percent). Male drivers (40 percent) and passengers (11 percent) are less likely to wear seat belts than female drivers (71 percent) and female passengers (17 percent). Seat-belt use was lowest in commercial vehicles (16 percent) and highest in taxis (51 percent).Recommendations include increasing enforcement of age-appropriate child restraint use and monitoring all enforcement and mass media campaigns to assess their effectiveness.In 2025, 15,549 people were killed and 32,147 injured in road accidents in Maharashtra.