Gadkari revealed that 1,78,000 lives are claimed by road accidents annually, with 60 per cent of deaths of people ranging between 18-34 years. He also revealed the top four states that have the highest number of road accidents.
Lakhs of lives are lost in road accidents every year, and mostly the victims are in the age gap of 18-34 years, said Nitin Gadkari on Friday during Parliament winter session. The Union Minister of Road, Transport and Highways expressed his disappointment at India’s road safety condition. He admitted to facing embarrassment at the international conferences while addressing road safety in the country. During the session, he named the Indian states that record the highest number of road accidents annually, and Uttar Pradesh topped the list.
Gadkari revealed that in Uttar Pradesh 23, 652 people have died in road accidents, which accounts for 13.7% of the total deaths due to road accidents. Tamil Nadu with over 18,347 deaths stands as the second state to witness the most number of road accidents. Maharashtra, with over 15,366 (or Madhya Pradesh with over 13,798 deaths, are among the four Indian states that have the highest number of road accidents.Â
Gadkari revealed that 1,78,000 lives are claimed by road accidents annually with 60 per cent of deaths of people ranging between 18-34 years. The minister acknowledged that his initial goal of reducing accidents and fatalities by 50% by the end of 2024 has not been met. He admitted that the number of accidents has increased. He confessed that this is one area where his department has fallen short of its objectives.
Gadkari emphasized that despite the high number of accidents, there is still a lack of fear of the law among citizens. He pointed out that many people fail to wear helmets and jump red signals, contributing to the rising number of accidents. Further, he also identified the parking of trucks on roads as a major cause of accidents, as many trucks do not follow lane discipline. To address this, he has ordered authorities to adopt international standards for bus body manufacturing in India. Additionally, he suggested that buses should be equipped with hammers near windows to facilitate easy escape in case of accidents.
Gadkari’s concerns about road safety are deeply personal, as he and his family were involved in a major accident a few years ago. Fortunately, they survived, but the experience has driven his commitment to improving road safety in India.