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MVA 1988 (Amended 2019)NEW_2019Chapter X
Section 211
National Road Safety Board
Miscellaneous
Fine: N/ACompoundable: N/AEndorsement: No
BARE ACT PROVISION
Legal Text
The Central Government shall constitute a Board to be known as the National Road Safety Board to advise the Central and State Governments on all aspects of road safety and traffic management including — (a) standards for motor vehicles; (b) standards for road design, construction, maintenance; (c) standards for driver training; (d) standards for traffic enforcement; (e) standards for recording and analysis of road accident data; (f) standards for safety of non-motorised transport; (g) promotion of research in road safety and traffic management; (h) standards for communication to the general public on road safety.
Simplified Explanation
Section 211 establishes the National Road Safety Board (NRSB) as a comprehensive advisory body for road safety policy in India. The NRSB's mandate covers every dimension of road safety: vehicle safety standards (crash test requirements, passive safety systems); road engineering (highway design, intersection geometry, pedestrian infrastructure); driver training (curriculum, testing standards, driving school accreditation); enforcement policy (camera systems, penalty structures, deterrence mechanisms); accident data (standardised reporting, analytics, international comparisons); non-motorised transport safety (cyclist and pedestrian safety); public communication campaigns; and research coordination. The breadth of the NRSB's mandate reflects the multi-sectoral nature of road safety — no single ministry or agency can address it comprehensively. The NRSB provides the institutional mechanism for coordinated, evidence-based road safety policy across all relevant departments.
Historical Context
India's road safety institutional landscape was fragmented before the NRSB — MoRTH handled vehicles and roads, Home Ministry handled police enforcement, Health Ministry handled trauma care, and no single body coordinated across these domains. The NRSB represents India's first attempt at institutional road safety coordination at the national level.Critical Changes
NRSB created entirely by 2019 Amendment — no predecessor in earlier MVA.
Comprehensive mandate covering all road safety dimensions.
Advises both Central and State Governments.
Common Queries
The NRSB, created by Section 211 of the MVA Amendment 2019, is India's apex advisory body for road safety. It advises the Central and State Governments on vehicle safety standards, road design, driver training, enforcement policy, accident data, and public communication.