Recently, Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, shared important information about road accidents in India. During a discussion in Parliament, he mentioned that every year, around 1,78,000 people lose their lives in road accidents. A majority of these victims, about 60%, are young people between the ages of 18 and 34.
Gadkari had earlier promised that by the end of 2024, road accidents and deaths would be reduced by half. However, he admitted that instead of going down, the numbers of accidents have actually increased. “We have not succeeded in this area,” he said frankly.
He also revealed the top four states with the most road accidents:
1. Uttar Pradesh: 23,652 accidents
2. Tamil Nadu: 18,347 accidents
3. Maharashtra: 15,366 accidents
4. Madhya Pradesh: 13,798 accidents
Delhi is the most dangerous city for road safety, with over 1,457 deaths, followed by Bengaluru with 915 and Jaipur with 850. Gadkari expressed his disappointment, noting that despite many people dying in accidents, some drivers and riders don’t seem afraid of getting into trouble. He pointed out that many don’t wear helmets and often run red lights.
He mentioned that parking trucks improperly on roads often leads to accidents, and many drivers do not stay in their lanes. To improve safety, he has asked for bus designs in India to meet international standards, suggesting that a hammer should be kept near bus windows to break them easily in emergencies.
Gadkari also shared that he feels embarrassed to discuss India’s road safety when he attends international meetings. “I try to hide my face,” he confessed. He also shared a personal story about how he and his family were involved in a serious accident some years ago, where he needed a long hospital stay but was lucky to survive.