Road accidents claimed around 19 lives every hour in the country last year. Total accidents last year were 4,61,312, with fatal accidents amounting to 33.8 percent of that (1,55,781) and 4,43,366 injuries, according to the latest data released by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
- Tamil Nadu recorded highest number of accidents
- Uttar Pradesh tops list of fatal accidents
Compared to the previous year, the number of road accidents in 2022 increased by 11.9 percent. Similarly, the number of deaths and injuries also saw a rise of 9.4 percent and 15.3 percent, respectively. These figures highlight the growing concern and urgency to address road safety issues in the country.
Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, emphasised the wider implications of road accidents, stating, "Let us remember that the cost of road accidents is borne not only by the victims and their families but also by the economy as a whole, in terms of untimely deaths, injuries, disabilities and loss of potential income."
State-wise accidents
Among the states, Tamil Nadu, with 64,105 accidents, recorded the highest number of road accidents in 2022 and accounts for 13.9 percent of the total. Madhya Pradesh followed closely behind with 54,432 accidents, representing 11.8 percent. In terms of fatalities, Uttar Pradesh topped the list with 22,595 deaths (13.4 percent of the total), followed by Tamil Nadu with 17,884 deaths, or around 10 percent of the total fatalities.
The category-wise distribution of accidents and fatalities reveals that the highways, with around 5 percent of total road network in the country, accounted for over 55 percent of total accidents and more than 60 percent of fatalities. Highways accounted for 36.2 percent of total persons killed in National Highways.
The worrying fact is that even with proactive steps taken by the government in the form of implementation of the Motor Vehicle Amendment Act 2019, which came into effect from September 1, 2019, has not helped in bringing down the accident rates. The MVA Act 2019 included provisions like a stiff hike in penalties for traffic violations, electronic monitoring of the same and enhanced penalties for juvenile driving, among others.