Nagpur: Road accidents on national highways in Nagpur rural have reduced by 48%, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari revealed during a road safety program in Nagpur on Saturday, January 11. He credited this decline to improved road engineering and the repair of accident-prone spots by organizations like Roadmark and the efforts of Nagpur Rural Police.

Speaking at the Vanamati Auditorium, Gadkari announced an increase in the financial incentive for individuals helping accident victims during the critical ‘golden hour.’ The reward, currently ₹5,000, will be raised to ₹25,000 to encourage timely assistance. He also highlighted that the ‘Good Samaritan Act’ protects such individuals from police or transport department questioning.

The minister urged social workers and NGOs to contribute actively to road safety initiatives and praised the contributions of Raju Wagh and Chandrashekhar Mohite in the field.

Gadkari shared alarming statistics, stating that 10,000 schoolchildren lose their lives annually due to unsafe traffic conditions near schools, and 30,000 people die each year for not wearing helmets. However, he noted that proper engineering improvements, like those made at Nagpur’s Ajni Square, can drastically reduce accidents, as no incidents have occurred there in the past 25 years.

The event was attended by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Archit Chandak, transport officials, and representatives from road safety organizations, with Gadkari addressing queries from schoolchildren on the topic.