Gadkari seeks safer designs for vehicles to cut road accidents

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday asked automakers to work towards having safer designs and explore possibility of use of silicon in tyres as part of efforts to reduce road accidents.

India Inc should encourage its members to adopt safe driving practices, the minister said.

Gadkari also called for concerted efforts to minimise accidents on the pattern of South Korea, which has successfully reduced the number of accidents to 213 from 13,000 (annually) five years back.

"Automakers should come forward in the initiative for reducing road crashes. There should be research and innovation," he said.

"They can also explore the possibility of using silicon, if feasible, in tyres to minimise incidents like tyre bursts on highways like Yamuna Expressway due to increase in temperature," Gadkari said.

The road minister said vehicles should be designed in a way to prevent accidents, and truck bodies should have adequate safety features.

The minister also said that there are plans to run metro coaches on the broad gauge rail lines of Nagpur.

A pact on this is likely to be signed between Nagpur Metro and Indian Railways after Karnataka elections.

The minister said the idea mooted by him has been approved by the railways.

"The first experiment is being done in Nagpur," he said.