Suggesting that there needs to be political will to tackle the problem, a Bench of Justices Arijit Pasyat and S H Kapadia, asked the government to undertake necessary research to evolve a national policy to reduce the huge loss of human lives every year.

The Bench passed the directions while rejecting an appeal filed by a lorry driver Rathnashalvan challenging his conviction in a road accident in which three persons died at Hassan in Karnataka.

On July 23, 1996, Rathnashalvan, while driving his lorry in a reckless manner, rammed the vehicle into a roadside tree on account of which three occupants travelling in it were killed.

Rathnashalvan was sentenced by a lower court to six months imprisonment for the offence and the punishment was upheld by the Karnataka High Court, following which he had moved the apex court.

Citing various research reports, the Supreme Court pointed out that an estimated 82,000 persons were killed in the country in 2002.

The accidents that kill people and maim others for life not only leaves a devastating effect on the victims and their families but also has an enormous impact on the country's economy, the Bench said.