Desk Correspondent , New Delhi - Supreme Court of India has declared that safety on highways is a part of fundamental the right to life under Article 21, directing all states and union territories to enforce strict pan‑India road‑safety norms immediately.  The CJI bench stressed that the State has a positive duty to prevent even a single avoidable death caused by illegal parking, accident‑prone blackspots, or poor infrastructure on national highways and expressways.

In its guidelines, the court ordered the dismantling of unauthorised dhabas and encroachments within the Right of Way of national highways, and barred heavy vehicles from parking except at designated lay‑bys.  It also mandated the constitution of district‑level highway safety task forces in every district through which a national highway passes, comprising officials from the district administration, police, NHAI, PWD, and local bodies, to monitor and remedy hazards on an ongoing basis.

Government officials and transport experts said the ruling could transform how highways are managed, but implementation will depend on coordinated action across agencies.  “The Court has basically turned expressways into corridors of protection instead of peril,” said a senior traffic‑safety advocate, adding that strict enforcement and citizen awareness will be key to translating the order into fewer fatalities.