According to government statistics, it was revealed that nearly 44 per cent of road crashes and fatalities in India involved two-wheelers, while 17 per cent of crashes and 19 per cent of fatalities involved pedestrians. Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs) such as pedestrians, cyclists, and two-wheeler riders constituted more than half of the fatalities in road accidents.

The Ministry had circulated a consultation paper titled 'SAFE' to develop strategies aimed at reducing road crashes and fatalities, with a particular focus on VRUs. The paper drew inspiration from Malaysia, where dedicated corridors for two-wheelers along highways had been implemented to segregate traffic and reduce accidents.

Incorporating road safety into the school curriculum and organizing annual road safety workshops were proposed as part of the Ministry's initiative. This was deemed especially relevant as over 50 per cent of road accident victims were reported to be youth under the age of 35.

The scheme aimed to achieve a 70 per cent reduction in accidents and fatalities per 10,000 vehicles and a 50 per cent reduction per 10,000 km of road length. It also sought to improve institutional capabilities, policy frameworks, and financial structures, according to sources.

The programme, designed as a centrally-sponsored scheme (CSS), was estimated to have an expenditure of Rs 140 billion. The central government was expected to fund Rs 99.48 billion, while the states and Union Territories (UTs) were to contribute Rs 40.53 billion.

The scheme encompassed three key approaches: mandatory initiatives, target-linked initiatives, and state road safety ranking interventions. These approaches aimed to assist states and UTs in prioritising critical issues, promoting best practices at the grassroots level, and assigning responsibility and accountability among them.

It was mentioned that mandatory road safety interventions with phased targets would be measured annually. States and UTs would receive incentives based on their achievement of annual road safety targets. Additionally, they would be ranked yearly based on their reduction in road crashes, fatalities, and injuries.