Seven years after India's road safety law, no prosecutions have been recorded

On September 20, a BMW with four young men crashed on a curve of Mumbai's Coastal Road, plunging 75 feet and killing three students while the fourth survived with serious injuries. Police noted the vehicle was traveling well above the 80 kmph limit, but investigations have not examined whether the road's design contributed to the accident. The 2019 Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act created Section 198A to penalise authorities responsible for road design, construction and maintenance, yet parliamentary data reveal zero prosecutions since its inception.

Scholars and road-safety advocates argue that the law lacks practical enforcement tools, that many states have not issued necessary rules for scientific crash investigations, and that police often lack awareness of the provision. Calls for stronger institutional frameworks and rule-making under related sections of the Act have intensified, especially as pedestrian fatalities continue to rise nationwide.