New Delhi:
At least 462 people died in road accidents in India every day in 2022, a Ministry of Road Transport and Highways report has revealed. The country witnessed at least 1,264 road accidents on a daily basis, according to the report.
The annual report on “Road Accidents in India” paints an alarming picture of deaths, with a vast majority of them in the age group of 25-35. Data showed that about 1.68 lakh people died in road accidents in 2022. At least 42,671 among them aged 25-35.
Among the states, Tamil Nadu recorded the highest number of road accidents with 64,105, while Uttar Pradesh saw the most fatalities with 22,595 deaths.
Other states with high road accident numbers included Madhya Pradesh (54,432), Kerala (43,910), and Uttar Pradesh (41,746). After UP, the highest number of deaths in road accidents occurred in Tamil Nadu with 17,884, followed by Maharashtra with 15,224 cases, while 13,427 fatalities took place in Madhya Pradesh.
Compared to 2021, road accidents increased by 12% in 2022, leading to a 9% jump in fatalities. The total number of road accidents in 2022 was 4.61 lakh, up from 4.12 lakh in 2021.
According to the official data, the total number of fatalities due to road crashes in 2022 was 9,528 for people aged less than 18 years, up from 7,764 in 2021. For people aged 60 years and above, the total fatalities were 13,636 in 2022, an increase from 11,739 deaths.
The total number of road accidents in 2018 in India was the highest at 470,403. It reduced to 4,56,959 in 2019 and then further came down to 3,72,181 in 2020. It rose in 2021 to 4,12,432 and then again to 4,61,312 in 2022.
Lakshadweep recorded the lowest number of road crashes, with 3 accidents in 2022. It also recorded the lowest fatalities with only two deaths in 2022.
A report by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways published in 2023 stressed the need for a holistic approach to addressing the underlying reasons such as speeding, reckless driving, intoxicated driving and noncompliance with traffic laws. It is critical that we increase enforcement mechanisms, expand driver education and training programs and invest in improving road and vehicle conditions, it suggested.