Road Traffic Accidents among the Young-Aged Riders in India

Abstract

Road traffic accidents have emerged as the new public health challenge of the 21st century. There has been
an unprecedented upsurge in the area of auto mobilization like never before in the post-liberalization era
in India. With a population close to 1.37 billion people, India now faces the worst ever road congestion in
most of the areas. Indian roads are the most vulnerable road in the world. Road traffic injuries are the sixth
leading cause of death in India. It is imperative to comprehensively understand the underlying behavioural
factors related to road traffic accidents. Literature related to traffic behaviour is sparse in India. The current
paper intends to highlight behaviours & underlying determinants, which cause road traffic accidents (RTA).
Drunken riding, cell phone usage & tailgating are some of the risky riding behaviour prominent among the
young riders in India. The informed evidence from the current review can provide valuable leads to the
policymakers at the local level to initiate targeted interventions.