Road accidents are one of the leading causes of significant loss of life and property in Nepal. The country ranks among those with the highest number of accidents globally. Over the past decade, road crashes have claimed more than 24,000 lives. In the last five years alone, 2,661 pedestrians have died on Nepal’s roads.
According to the World Health Organization, road injuries and crashes are the leading causes of death among children and youth aged 5 to 29 worldwide. Globally, 92 percent of road traffic deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
In Nepal, the daily toll of seven lives lost to road accidents has serious implications not only on a human level but also socially, economically, and from a health perspective. While many blame drivers solely for accidents, ensuring safe travel requires addressing roads, vehicles, and users—including drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.
The responsibility to remain vigilant, enforce laws when necessary, and ensure safety lies with the state. Guaranteeing safe travel demands effective laws, proper enforcement, safe vehicles and roads, responsible users, and efficient post-accident care and rehabilitation.
Nepal classifies its roads into four types: highways, feeder roads, district roads, and rural/agricultural roads. The total road network length has reached 104,906 kilometers, but exactly how much of this is truly safe remains unclear.
When people hear “safe roads,” they often imagine wide, paved roads. However, experts emphasize that being wide and paved does not necessarily mean a road is safe. Safe roads must protect the lives of all users—including drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. Unsafe roads are a major factor causing road accidents in Nepal.
Here are key insights from an interview with Member of Parliament and road engineer Aashish Gajurel discussing the role of roads in accidents:
Daily reports highlight human and property losses due to road accidents. What role does the road itself play?
The principal cause of road accidents is the unsafe condition of roads. All vehicles and people — motorcycles, bicycles, buses, pedestrians, and even wheelchair users — share these roads. Therefore, the foundational pillar of safety is ensuring the roads themselves are secure.
Currently, Nepal has over 100,000 kilometers of road network, but only about 25,000 kilometers are designed and constructed by the Department of Roads. This discrepancy clearly reflects the divide between safe and unsafe roads.
In pursuing a strategy to connect villages and communities quickly, low-quality roads have been constructed, resulting in thousands of deaths annually.
Are the 25,000 kilometers recognized by the Department of Roads completely safe?
Not entirely. Due to limited resources and funding, many safety standards have not been fully met. For example, while safety barriers have recently been introduced on the Kathmandu-Muglin highway, they were previously absent in the eastern region. Mountain highways lack mandatory safety barriers, a major shortcoming.
Poor quality and disregard for safety standards during road construction, combined with lack of funding and attention, have been key factors in many accidents.
Does a wide and paved road automatically mean it is safe?
Not necessarily. Paving and widening are only elements of safety standards. Highways should be reserved for vehicles only, but in Nepal, domestic animals roam these roads, and roadside tea stalls operate, which detracts from highway or urban road standards. Urban roads require organized bus stops, pedestrian lanes, bicycle paths, and facilities for people with disabilities—all of which are mostly lacking.
Road design must consider context—rural roads differ from urban roads—and infrastructure should fully protect all users.
For instance, the expressway built connecting Kalanki to Koteshwor initially neglected pedestrian crossings, forcing people to cross on the road, increasing fatality and accident rates. This was later addressed.
Research shows wide roads can encourage overspeeding, which accounts for 90 percent of crashes.
Should safe roads protect not just vehicles from collisions but also safeguard pedestrians and cyclists fully?
Absolutely. A road is only safe if it protects everyone. For example, if public transport does not allow passengers to safely disembark, vehicles coming from behind may cause accidents, regardless of whether the road has eight or ten lanes.
Crosswalks (zebra crossings) must be appropriately located and ideally coordinated with traffic signals. Placing crossings on downhill slopes is hazardous because vehicles cannot brake safely. Speed limits and safety signs should be clearly visible everywhere.
As a legislator, how are you advancing laws to improve road safety?
Road safety involves not only infrastructure but also vehicle condition, user discipline, driver skills, and adherence to rules. Regulations must be strictly enforced and supported by technology. Emergency response systems after accidents also need strengthening.
We are currently working on installing CCTV cameras and GPS in public transport, improving road maintenance, and establishing rapid rescue systems.
A road safety bill, in development for seven to eight years, is now with the Attorney General’s Office for review before proceeding to Parliament. Once passed, it will establish a Road Safety Council and open new avenues for improved safety.
Will increasing fines lead to better road safety?
International experience shows that higher fines reduce accidents. Low fines often fail to deter risky behavior. While increasing penalties may not immediately impact, parliamentary debates and enforcement will enhance their effectiveness.
How do you consider the hardship fines cause to offenders?
Feedback suggests fines should be balanced—not too high or too low—but enough to raise awareness. We aim to maintain this balance in enforcement.
Many people disregard or are unaware of rules at zebra crossings; connecting these crossings to traffic lights, as done abroad, would signal red to vehicles and green to pedestrians. Speed bumps and rumble strips also reduce speed and accidents.
However, some zebra crossings are placed incorrectly, such as on slopes, where vehicles cannot slow down effectively.
Why is 3D technology used abroad not yet common in Nepal?
It is gradually being introduced, though widespread adoption is not yet complete.
