Supreme Court Directs States, UTs to File Road Safety Compliance Reports Within Four Weeks

July 13, 2026 : The Supreme Court on Monday directed all States and Union Territories to file compliance affidavits within four weeks in a batch of public interest litigations concerning road safety, after noting that only four States had complied with its earlier directions.

A Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sanjay Kumar passed the order after Senior Advocate Atmaram Nadkarni, appearing as Amicus Curiae, informed the Court that compliance reports had so far been received from only four States. He also submitted that several affidavits had been filed only a day earlier and sought time to examine them before preparing a consolidated status report on the implementation of the Court’s directions.

Taking note of the submission, the Bench observed that the substantive directions on road safety had already been issued and that the present proceedings were intended to monitor their implementation. The Court, therefore, granted the remaining States and Union Territories four weeks to submit their compliance affidavits.

The Court further directed the Amicus Curiae to compile the responses received from all States and Union Territories and submit a consolidated report identifying which directions have been implemented and which remain pending.

During the hearing, the Bench also expressed serious concern over rampant encroachments along highways and the practice of parking heavy vehicles on road shoulders. The Court observed that such encroachments force motorists onto the carriageway, increasing the risk of accidents and undermining the very purpose of developing safe highways.

The Bench also considered submissions in connected applications seeking additional road safety measures. These included a plea to make reverse parking sensors and cameras mandatory in vehicles, as well as another application seeking stricter enforcement of laws against drunken driving.

The Court indicated that these issues would be examined along with the broader road safety matters already pending before it. The matter will now be taken up after the States and Union Territories file their compliance affidavits and the Amicus Curiae submits the consolidated status report.