State govt has initiated measures to reduce accident fatalities by promoting advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) and revoking driving licences (DL) of repeat traffic violators.

During a senior-level road safety meeting here on Tuesday, transport secretary Usha Padhee called upon stakeholders to support the state's goal of halving road accident casualties and injuries by 2030.

Official data shows 16,287 road accident deaths occurred between 2021 and 2023. There were 5,081 casualties in 2021, 5,467 in 2022 and 5,739 in 2023.

Padhee said that the govt intends to implement DL cancellations through modifications to the Odisha Motor Vehicle Rules, 1993. The transport department will define specific parameters regarding the number of violations that will result in revoking a licence.

Regional transport offices (RTOs) can now only suspend driving licences for three months for major violations, including driving under the influence, triple riding and wrong-side driving.

"The initiative aims to enhance road safety by deterring untrained drivers who cause accidents and disregard traffic rules. At present, only courts can cancel driving licences following convictions in fatal road accident cases," she said.

Proposed amendments to the Odisha Motor Vehicle Rules will authorise RTOs to revoke driving licences, preventing rule-breakers from operating vehicles until they secure new licences.

During the meeting, instructions were given to the state transport authority (STA) to formulate procedures for implementing ADAS in commercial vehicles. The safety technology helps prevent collisions and enhances driving quality, leading to fewer road accidents.

CM Mohan Charan Majhi recently stated that monetary assistance should be provided to transport operators to install ADAS devices in their commercial vehicles.

ADAS includes advanced safety mechanisms to support drivers, featuring technology such as electronic stability control, anti-lock braking, driver state monitoring, lane departure warning and autonomous emergency braking, aimed at preventing or reducing accidents.

Padhee announced that the govt is developing two-way integration between Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) and e-DAR (electronic detailed accident report) for efficient accident data exchange and analysis. Additionally, police stations will receive financial support for digitising road safety information.