India Witnesses Alarming Increase in Road Accidents, Resulting in High Fatality Rate
New Delhi – The number of road accidents in India has witnessed a staggering 12% increase, reaching over 4.6 lakh in 2022, leading to the death of 19 individuals every hour, as per a report from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). The report further reveals that the country experiences 53 road accidents every hour.
The report, titled ‘Road Accidents in India – 2022’, states, “A total of 4,61,312 road accidents were reported by states and Union Territories (UTs) during the calendar year 2022, resulting in 1,68,491 fatalities and 4,43,366 injuries.” This marks an 11.9% increase in accidents, 9.4% rise in fatalities, and 15.3% surge in injuries compared to the previous year.
According to the report, young adults aged between 18 and 45 years constituted a significant percentage of road accident victims, accounting for 66.5% in 2022. Additionally, individuals in the working age group of 18 to 60 years comprised 83.4% of total road accident fatalities.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has set an ambitious goal to reduce the number of accidents and resulting deaths by half by 2024.
In 2022, the reported number of road accident fatalities reached 1,68,491, surpassing the 2021 figure of 1,53,972. Among the accidents recorded, 32.9% occurred on National Highways (NH) and expressways, 23.1% occurred on state highways, and the remaining 43.9% transpired on other roads.
Two-wheelers retained their position as the vehicle category involved in the highest number of accidents and fatalities for the second consecutive year. Light vehicles, including cars, jeeps, and taxis, ranked significantly lower as the second most involved category.
In terms of road-user categories, two-wheeler riders accounted for the highest share of total fatalities at 44.5% in 2022, followed by pedestrian road-users at 19.5%.
Among Indian states, Tamil Nadu recorded the highest number of road accidents on National Highways, while Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of deaths due to road accidents.
In 2022, speeding constituted a major cause of fatalities, accounting for 71.2% of deaths, followed by driving on the wrong side at 5.4%. Furthermore, approximately half of the accidents, deaths, and injuries occurred in open areas where human activities are not typically present.
The report highlights that straight roads accounted for 67% of accidents, while accidents on curved roads, pothole-ridden roads, and steep grades only accounted for 13.8% of total road accidents in 2022.
The total number of fatal road accidents increased from 1,42,163 in 2021 to 1,55,781 in 2022, marking a 9.6% rise compared to the same period the previous year. ‘Hit from Back’ accidents held the highest share in total accident deaths at 19.5% in 2022, followed by ‘Hit and Run’ and ‘Head-on Collision’ at 18.1% and 15.7%, respectively.
This annual report is compiled based on data received from the police departments of Indian states and Union Territories in 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.
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