The Himachal Pradesh government has approved a Road Safety Audit Policy for roads under the Public Works Department to integrate safety into planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance. The framework aligns with Indian Road Congress guidelines to improve infrastructure, reduce accident risks and strengthen the state road network. It mandates audits at five stages: feasibility or preliminary design, detailed project report, construction, pre-opening and for existing roads. At feasibility stage auditors will examine route selection, alignment, intersections, cross-sections and connectivity with the existing network. The detailed design review will assess geometric design, signs, pavement markings, lighting and provisions for vulnerable road users and roadside safety features. Construction audits will focus on work-zone safety, traffic management, worker protection and compliance with prior recommendations, while pre-opening checks will include day and night inspections. Audits must be carried out by Indian Road Congress-certified road safety auditors or departmental officers who have completed a 15-day audit certification programme and have at least 10 years of hill road construction experience, and auditors must be independent of project execution. A dedicated road safety cell will be set up at HPPWD headquarters to empanel auditors, review compliance reports and organise training and awareness programmes. The Engineer-in-Chief, HPPWD, will monitor the programme quarterly. The government has made it mandatory for all road projects costing more than Rs 10 million (mn) to earmark one per cent of the project cost for safety audits and requires adherence to Indian Road Congress standards on signage, markings and safety features. The state reported a 6.48 per cent decline in road accidents in 2024 compared with 2023, with accidents falling to 2,107 from 2,253, fatalities declining to 806 from 892 and injuries to 3,290 from 3,449. The Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, said the government was adopting a proactive, scientific approach to institutionalise independent audits and to prioritise human life in road development.