New Delhi, India witnessed a disturbing 12% increase in road accidents in 2022, reaching a total of over 4.6 lakh incidents, resulting in the death of 19 individuals per hour. These statistics are according to a report released by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). The report further revealed that the country experiences 53 road accidents every hour.
During the calendar year 2022, states and Union Territories (UTs) reported a total of 4,61,312 road accidents. These accidents claimed the lives of 1,68,491 individuals and caused injuries to 4,43,366 people. The report highlighted that these figures represent an 11.9% increase in accidents, 9.4% increase in fatalities, and 15.3% increase in injuries compared to the previous year.
Interestingly, the report found that young adults in the age group of 18 to 45 years accounted for 66.5% of the victims in 2022. Additionally, individuals in the working age group of 18 to 60 years constituted 83.4% of the total road accident fatalities.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has set an ambitious target to reduce the number of accidents and resulting deaths by half by the year 2024. However, the report showed a concerning trend as the total number of road accident fatalities in 2022 increased to 1,68,491, surpassing the previous year’s figure of 1,53,972.
Among the different types of roads, National Highways (NH) accounted for 32.9% of the accidents with a total of 1,51,997 incidents, while state highways witnessed 1,06,682 accidents (23.1%). The remaining 43.9% of accidents occurred on other roads.
Two-wheelers continued to be the vehicle category with the highest share in total accidents and fatalities in 2022. Light vehicles, including cars, jeeps, and taxis, ranked at a distant second. In terms of road-user categories, two-wheeler riders accounted for the highest proportion (44.5%) of fatalities, followed by pedestrian road-users (19.5%).
When examining specific states, Tamil Nadu reported the highest number of road accidents on National Highways in 2022, while Uttar Pradesh had the highest number of fatalities due to road accidents.
Traffic rule violations played a significant role in these accidents, with overspeeding accounting for 71.2% of the fatalities, followed by driving on the wrong side at 5.4%. It is worth noting that 47.7% of accidents, 55.1% of deaths, and 48.2% of injuries occurred in open areas, away from human activities.
The annual report is based on data provided by the police departments of states and UTs, following standardized formats provided by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) under the Asia Pacific Road Accident Data (APRAD) base project. The report aims to shed light on the current state of road accidents in India and promote efforts to improve road safety and reduce fatalities.
Despite the significant challenges, the government’s target to reduce accidents and deaths by half by 2024 emphasizes the urgency and importance of addressing this issue. Efforts to strengthen road infrastructure, improve awareness and adherence to traffic rules, and promote responsible driving habits are crucial in tackling this growing problem and ensuring safer roads for all.
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