Over the past decade (2014-2023), India has witnessed a staggering 15.3 lakh road fatalities, a toll greater than the population of Chandigarh and nearly equivalent to the city of Bhubaneswar. This data comes despite repeated commitments from the central government to reduce road fatalities and the Supreme Court’s interventions aimed at curbing road accidents.
According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the road death rate in India is approximately 250 deaths per 10,000 km of road. In comparison, countries like the US, China, and Australia report significantly lower rates—57, 119, and 11 fatalities per 10,000 km, respectively.
The figures for the preceding decade (2004-2013) were also alarming, with 12.1 lakh people losing their lives in road crashes. While the rise in fatalities over the past ten years can partly be attributed to a growing population, an expanding road network, and an increase in the number of vehicles, experts argue that insufficient efforts have been made to address the root causes of these accidents.
Government data shows that the number of registered vehicles in India has more than doubled, from 15.9 crore in 2012 to about 38.3 crore in 2024. Additionally, the road network expanded from 48.6 lakh km in 2012 to 63.3 lakh km in 2019. However, experts stress that the increase in road infrastructure and vehicles alone cannot explain the rising death toll.
Road safety, they say, remains a multi-sectoral issue that requires enhanced collaboration among various government agencies, non-profits, and other stakeholders. Despite this recognition, progress has been slow, with different agencies continuing to operate in silos without coordinated efforts.
Former senior police officers have also pointed out that, unlike cases of unsolved murders where accountability is demanded from officers, fatal road accidents rarely lead to such scrutiny. “Top officers rarely seek explanations from juniors or inquire about the status of investigations after multiple road fatalities,” said a former Delhi Police officer. “Road crashes are simply not a priority for law enforcement agencies.”
T Krishna Prasad, a former IPS officer and current MP, who also chairs the Road Safety Authority of Telangana, highlighted that while crimes like murder receive considerable attention, road accidents and the resulting deaths often don’t. Prasad, who plans to introduce a private member’s bill on road safety, emphasized that the number of lives lost in road accidents annually far surpasses the casualties from any natural disaster in India.
