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According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2023 report, India recorded 4,64,029 road accidents, resulting in 1,73,826 deaths and 4,47,000 injuries. This marks a 1.6% rise in fatalities compared to 2022 (1,71,100 deaths) and highlights the continuing challenge of road safety in the country.

Key Trends and Statistics

• Total Accidents: 4,64,029 (17,261 more than in 2022).
• Fatalities: 1,73,826 people killed.
• Injuries: 4,47,000 people injured.
• Peak Accident Hours: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. accounted for 20.7% of total accidents, followed by 3–6 p.m. (17.3%) and 12 noon–3 p.m. (15%).

Vehicle-Wise Analysis

Two-wheelers continued to be the most vulnerable category, responsible for nearly 46% of all road deaths.

• Two-wheelers: 79,533 deaths (45.8%)
• Pedestrians: 27,586 deaths (15.9%)
• SUVs/Cars/Jeep: 24,776 deaths (14.3%)

Tamil Nadu (11,490) and Uttar Pradesh (8,370) recorded the highest two-wheeler fatalities. Uttar Pradesh also reported the largest number of deaths due to car/SUV/jeep (19.2%) and truck/lorry (29.9%) accidents, reflecting both heavy traffic volumes and enforcement gaps.

Interestingly, while road accidents generally cause more injuries than deaths nationwide, states such as Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Jharkhand, Punjab, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh reported higher fatalities relative to injuries.

Cause-Wise Distribution

The NCRB data highlights that speeding and careless driving remain the leading causes of fatalities:

• Speeding: 58.6% of deaths (1,01,841 fatalities)
• Dangerous or Careless Driving/Overtaking: 23.6% (41,035 fatalities)
• Other Causes: 4,952 deaths due to poor weather, intoxicated driving, or animal crossings.

Highway Fatalities

Roads designed for faster travel remain the deadliest:

• National Highways: Accounted for 34.6% of total deaths.
• State Highways: Accounted for 23.4%.

Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh reported the highest fatalities on national highways.

Urban Accident Patterns

Among metropolitan areas, Delhi recorded 5,715 accidents (8.2% of total in megacities) — the highest number — followed by Bengaluru (4,980) and Chennai (3,653). Delhi also reported the highest fatalities (1,457), followed by Bengaluru (915) and Jaipur (848).

Interpretation and Policy Implications

The rising toll of road accidents underscores the multi-dimensional nature of India’s road safety crisis, rooted in over-speeding, poor enforcement, unsafe road design, and inadequate emergency response. Despite policy initiatives like the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, which strengthened penalties and accountability, implementation remains uneven across states.

The dominance of two-wheeler fatalities reveals the need for:

• Stricter helmet and speed regulation enforcement,
• Improved road engineering for vulnerable users,
• Enhanced awareness campaigns, and
• Expansion of trauma care infrastructure along highways.