NEW DELHI: The number of road deaths in 2024 is set to surpass that in 2023 with over two dozen states and UTs, including Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha, Telangana, Assam and Delhi reporting higher number of fatalities last year. As per provisional data compiled from states/UTs, excluding West Bengal, a little over 1.7 lakh people died in road crashes last year.In 2023, road crashes had claimed around 1.73 lakh lives, the highest ever for a year, and West Bengal had reported 6,027 of these fatalities. Sources said that once data from West Bengal is included, the number of deaths would be more than that in the previous year. Data sent by states on crashes, fatalities, injuries and the factors responsible for them are being rechecked and reconciled before the final report is published, they added.
While the rise in fatalities despite efforts of the govt to curb them remains a huge concern, there is a silver lining to the provisional data for 2024: nine states and UTs have reported a decline in the number of deaths. For example, Kerala reported 3,846 fatalities in 2024 compared to 4,080 in the previous year, and Gujarat recorded 7,717 deaths last year compared to 7,854 in 2023.Experts maintain that unless there is a significant dip in fatalities in the 10 states that report a large share of the overall figure, achieving the goal to reduce the number of road deaths by half will not be possible. “There is a need for focussed efforts to reduce fatal crashes and deaths on National Highways and state highways, which account for nearly 60% of all fatalities,” said a former Union road transport secretary.Though data on road accidents do not fully represent the magnitude of the problem given that not all such incidents are reported or recorded by police, the provisional data show that 35 states and UTs reported over 4.7 lakh crashes in 2024 compared to 4.8 lakh in the previous year.Meanwhile, the road transport ministry plans to amend the Motor Vehicle Act by introducing stricter norms for issuing driving licence and negative points for bad driver behaviour that can result in suspension and even cancellation of licences.
