One of the reasons statistics have a poor reputation in society is the way commentators tell incomplete stories. Typically, data can hold multiple layers of truth; not all are evident from the descriptions. In the next few posts, we will try and understand how road safety has performed in India in the last 50 years.
Road Accidents
It’s been increasing but showing a little turnaround in the last decade.
The Number of Fatalities
Surely, the numbers are stabilizing but not decreasing. We need to go deeper into any confounding effects, such as population change or any growth in the number of vehicles.
Risk to a person
So, the risk to an average person remains high though it has stabilized in recent times. The next question is if road travel has become more dangerous.
Risk to a passenger
In the basic sense, it is just a reflection of the exponential growth of vehicles – the base or denominator – in the last few years. In other words, the threat to life has not increased proportionally to the increase in the number of vehicles. One can also argue that automobiles are becoming better in safety performance.
