SANCTITY OF LIFE VS. INFRASTRUCTURE GAPS: REDEFINING STATE RESPONSIBILITY IN HIGHWAY SAFETY. ANALYZING IN RE: PHALODI ACCIDENT VS NATIONAL HIGHWAYS AUTHORITY OF INDIA AND ORS.

This case is a landmark suo-motu public interest litigation initiated by the Supreme Court of India, focusing on systemic administrative negligence, illegal encroachments, and severe infrastructural gaps causing high-fatality accidents on National Highways. Recognizing that while National Highways constitute only about 2% of India's road network, they account for nearly 30% of all road fatalities, the Court invoked its extraordinary powers to bridge enforcement gaps. Through this order, the Court explicitly elevates the "Right to Safe Passage" and accident-free commutes as integral facets of the fundamental Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.