Skip to main content

Nepal safety issues

The authorities in Nepal are establishing a road safety plan that is intended to reduce the country’s annual injury and fatality rates. Nepal’s Traffic Police Directorate recently announced figures showing that of the 8,503 accidents recorded in the 2010-2011 financial year, 4,914 occurred within the Kathmandu Valley. The police also said that factors causing accidents included the poor state of gravel and surfaced roads and inadequate traffic signs. Potholes are a major problem on Nepal’s road system accor
April 27, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Nepal is investing in roads and hopes to boost safety. Picture: Nick Goodwin
The authorities in Nepal are establishing a road safety plan that is intended to reduce the country’s annual injury and fatality rates.

Nepal’s Traffic Police Directorate recently announced figures showing that of the 8,503 accidents recorded in the 2010-2011 financial year, 4,914 occurred within the Kathmandu Valley. The police also said that factors causing accidents included the poor state of gravel and surfaced roads and inadequate traffic signs. Potholes are a major problem on Nepal’s road system according to the police, as well as reducing traffic flow and increasing congestion.

Officials at Nepal’s 2437 Ministry of Physical Planning and Works said that poor road conditions are the result of government policy as well as the long tender process for repairing and improvement of potholes. However, the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works says that there has been progress in maintaining 7000m2 of potholed roads within the Kathmandu Valley and some 5000m2 elsewhere in the country. But because of the focus on reducing potholes, improved signage has moved down the priority list.

Due to the increase in road accidents along the six lane Kathmandu-Bhaktapur road section, one of the local hospitals nearby has carried out a programme focussing on how drivers follow road rules.

Meanwhile the authorities in urban Kathmandhu have been removing roadside advertising hoardings that proliferate in the city. These cause driver distraction and have been attributed as factors in many accidents. In addition, Nepal’s Home Ministry has opted to tackle safety problems arising from vehicles being overloaded with passengers. This has been identified as a major factor in high injury and fatality rates in specific accidents as well as being a factor in causing individual incidents.

Related Content

  • US$1 billion to improve US road safety
    September 26, 2024
    A budget of US$1 billion will help to improve US road safety.
  • Rise in road deaths in France and Germany for start of 2014
    June 2, 2014
    The latest official data from France and Germany reveals a worrying increase in road related fatalities for the first quarter of 2014. This follows a period of several years in which the casualty statistics have improved. The preliminary figures from Germany's Federal Statistics Office, Destatis, reveal that the number of people killed road traffic crashes in Germany rose by 4.2% to 640 in the first quarter of 2014 compared to the same period in the previous year.
  • Ireland’s road safety is improving, slowly
    November 11, 2019
    Ireland’s road safety levels are improving, but perhaps more slowly than is desirable. In 2018 there were 142 road deaths in Ireland. A significant improvement over the last 20 years where compared with the 458 road deaths in the country seen in 1998. Of note is that for 2014-2018, 25% of all fatal crashes and 20% of crashes involving serious injuries occurred during the 22.00-06.00 period when traffic volumes are typically low. In addition, 75% of crashes occurring from 2013-2016 in the 22.00-06.00 period
  • Road causalities dropped in Europe in 2012
    March 26, 2013
    The latest data from the European Commission reveals that road fatalities across the EU decreased by 9% in 2012. This shows that 2012 saw the lowest numbers of people being killed in road traffic crashes in EU countries since data first began being collated. Vice-president Siim Kallas, Commissioner for Transport, said, "2012 was a landmark year for European road safety, with the lowest ever number of road deaths recorded. A 9% decrease means that 3,000 lives were saved last year. It is hugely encouraging to