Impact of increase in penalties on alcohol and mobile-use related accidents in India: observations from the report on road accidents in India

The growing number of road accidents in India has been a concern over the years. Alcohol and mobile phone use while driving have been found to be important factors in road injuries. Although legislative changes, like 'The Motor Vehicle (Amendement) Act, 2019', introduced stricter penalties to control dangerous driving behavior, limited evidence exists regarding their real-world impact in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) like India. This study examines the impact of increased penalties on alcohol and mobile-related accidents in India using "Road Accidents in India" reports. Accident trends were assessed before and after the implementation of stricter penalties using year-on-year statistical testing for proportion differences. Drunk driving and mobile phone-related violations increased until 2019 but showed a significant decline following the introduction of higher penalties, sustained up until 2021. Findings show that while stricter penalties help, lasting impact depends on consistent enforcement, public awareness, and attitudinal changes toward road safety.