Sir,

In a concerning continuation of previous trends, India recorded over 4.80 lakh road accidents in 2023, resulting in over 1.72 lakh fatalities — the highest number of road accident deaths globally. This marks a 2.6 percent increase in fatalities compared to 2022. Alarmingly, the fatality rate per 100 crashes remained around 36 last year.

The statistics paint a grim picture: Around 10,000 of the fatalities were minors and 35,000 were pedestrians. An estimated 16,000 lives were lost due to not wearing seat belts, while failure to wear helmets resulted in 54,000 deaths.

Accidents involving overloaded vehicles accounted for 12,000 fatalities and driving without a valid licence contributed to approximately 34,000 crashes.

Over-speeding emerged as the leading cause, responsible for 68.1 percent of fatalities. On average, India witnessed 55 crashes and 20 deaths every hour in 2023.

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, remarked that these alarming figures highlight a lack of respect and fear for the law. He attributed the high accident rates to human behaviour, emphasising the urgent need for a collective commitment from road users, vehicle manufacturers, the Government and law enforcement to reduce accidents and save lives.

Basic safety measures, such as wearing helmets and seat belts, which involve minimal financial effort compared to medical expenses after accidents, could prevent a significant portion of these tragedies.

Yet, many continue to disregard these fundamental rules, turning avoidable incidents into fatal realities. Until stricter enforcement and greater awareness take root, the cycle of road accidents and fatalities is likely to persist.

– Dr. S.V.N. Vijayendra, ex-Traffic Warden and former Member, City Traffic Advisory Committee, Mysuru, Hyderabad, 13.12.2024

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