Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari recently shared alarming statistics on road accidents in India during the ongoing Parliament winter session. According to Gadkari, road accidents claim approximately 1,78,000 lives each year, with a staggering 60% of the victims falling within the age range of 18 to 34 years.
Reflecting on his earlier pledge to reduce road accidents and fatalities by 50% by the end of 2024, the minister expressed regret that the situation has worsened. “Instead of decreasing the number of accidents, I must admit that the figures have actually risen. This is an area where our department has not achieved its intended success,” Gadkari acknowledged.
He went on to reveal the four Indian states with the highest number of road accidents:
- Uttar Pradesh: 23,652 accidents
- Tamil Nadu: 18,347 accidents
- Maharashtra: 15,366 accidents
- Madhya Pradesh: 13,798 accidents
Additionally, Gadkari pointed out that Delhi is the city with the highest death toll from road accidents, with over 1,457 fatalities. Bengaluru follows with 915 deaths, while Jaipur has recorded 850 fatalities.