The report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) on road accidents is worrying as well as disappointing. According to this report, more than 1.5 lakh people lost their lives in road accidents last year. This means that events like Road Safety Week and other efforts to prevent road accidents are proving unsuccessful, because till a few years ago this figure was close to one lakh deaths. The increase in the number of people dying in road accidents is a matter of grave concern because the number of vehicles in India is not that much as compared to many other countries where road accidents are far less. According to the NCRB, about 60 percent of road accidents happen due to high speed of vehicles. There is a need to get to the root of this reason, because accidents happen due to ignorance of traffic rules, wrong and sometimes even wrong driving, encroachment and bad design of roads. Similarly, potholes on roads also cause road accidents. The resolution of pothole-free roads has remained just a slogan. Often potholes remain on major roads for months. Accidents keep happening due to them, but those who are responsible for the maintenance of roads are not alert. NCRB figures also say that more than 30 percent of road accidents occur on national highways which have a share of only 2.1 percent in the length of roads. This means that as national highways are being built, the number of road accidents is also increasing. In such a situation, it is necessary that the root causes of road accidents are identified and they are resolved on priority basis. In this, along with the central government, the state governments and their traffic police will also have to show alertness. Apart from this, the departments responsible for the maintenance of roads will also have to be made accountable. Right now this accountability is limited to papers only. This is the reason why even after the accident prone spots on the roads are identified, the required steps are not taken in time. It is also a fact that strict action is not taken against those who ignore traffic rules.