In a landmark ruling with sweeping national consequences, the Supreme Court has declared that the right to safe passage on public roads forms an inviolable component of the right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. A bench comprising Justice JK Maheshwari and AS Chandurkar issued fourteen binding directives aimed at restructuring highway safety governance across the country, making clear that bureaucratic inertia or budget constraints will no longer serve as acceptable defences for preventable road deaths.
The case originated as a suo motu proceeding following two catastrophic highway accidents in November 2025, one in Phalodi, Rajasthan, and another in Rangareddy, Telangana, that together killed 34 people. The underlying systemic failure was stark: National Highways account for barely 2% of India's total road network yet swallow nearly 30% of its annual road fatalities.
Unlicensed dhabas and commercial encroachments within highway safety zones, the absence of dedicated patrolling units, inadequate emergency response infrastructure, and the unchecked practice of heavy vehicles parking on live carriageways were identified as recurring, structural contributors to this death toll. Senior Advocate Atmaram Nadkarni, appointed Amicus Curiae, collaborated with Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to place a joint set of remedial proposals before the Court, which formed the backbone of the final directions.
The bench anchored its reasoning firmly in constitutional doctrine, holding that Article 21 does not merely shield citizens from arbitrary state action but imposes an affirmative duty on the government to engineer conditions in which life is actively protected. Crucially, the Court rejected the long-standing administrative defence of resource limitations, stating, "No pecuniary or administrative constraint can outweigh the sanctity of human life."
Translating principle into action, the Court ordered, among other measures, a blanket ban on carriageway parking by heavy vehicles, the removal of all highway encroachments within 60 days, mandatory accident blackspot mapping within 45 days, emergency services stationed every 75 kilometres, and the constitution of District Highway Safety Task Forces wherever National Highways pass through. All implementing agencies must file compliance reports within 75 days, with the matter listed for review thereafter.
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