Over 15 Lack Fatalities From Road Accidents In Ten Years, UP Tops: Union Government (Photo on Pixabay)
New Delhi: The Union Government on Thursday revealed that India witnessed approximately 1,502,416 fatalities due to road accidents in ten years—from 2013 to 2022. Uttar Pradesh has topped the list with nearly two lakh cases, followed by Tamil Nadu with 165,847 and Maharashtra with 130,613 fatalities.
The data released by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highway showed that the people aged between 25 and 60 had the highest fatalities, with over 6.5 lakh deaths between 2016 and 2022. The adults aged 18 to 25 are the second most vulnerable to the road accident related casualties, with around two lakh and twenty-five thousand deaths in the given period. The number of deaths among those below 18 years and above 60 years was almost the same, with nearly one lakh fatalities. Uttar Pradesh has the largest fatalities among those below 18 years—around 19,028 persons.
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Two-wheeler riders are the most vulnerable to road accident fatalities, with over 2.5 lakh being killed from 2019 to 2022, according to the government data. The bikers are followed by the pedestrians, with more than 1 lakh persons being killed. The report highlighted that pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists are vulnerable groups, accounting for a large proportion of road traffic deaths.
Noting the reasons behind the huge number of casualties due to the road accidents, the government said that various factors contribute, including human errors, road conditions, the environment, vehicular conditions, among others. The Ministry also asserted that the country is committed to reducing the number of road traffic deaths and injuries to 50% by 2030, citing the Stockholm Declaration on Road Safety.
The government also elaborated on the “multi-pronged strategy” to address the issue based on four factors: education, engineering (both of roads and vehicles), enforcement, and emergency care. Accordingly. The data then explained the initiatives it took across all these fields.
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However, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari had recently revealed that there were 4.80 lakh road accidents in 2023, resulting in 1.72 lakh deaths, suggesting a 4.2% rise in accidents and a 2.6% rise in deaths compared to 2022. Among the most vulnerable were the pedestrians, as per the minister.
