NEW DELHI: India recorded an average of 485 road deaths per day in 2024, with total fatalities climbing to 1.77 lakh, the road transport ministry informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday. National Highways (NHs)—which make up just about 2% of India’s road network—accounted for 54,443 deaths (31%), marking their lowest share in four years.
Overall road fatalities rose by 2.3% compared to 2023, when 1.73 lakh people were killed. Earlier trends reported by TOI on November 5 had already indicated that road deaths in 2024 were likely to surpass the previous year’s tally.
Responding to a question from DMK MP A Raja, Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari stated in a written reply: “As per information received from states/UTs, total number of road accident fatalities reported in the country on all categories of roads during 2024 were 1,77,177, which includes data from Bengal taken from the electronic detailed accident report (eDAR) portal.”
The government’s eDAR system, designed for real-time crash data collection, is reportedly providing largely accurate figures, though officials say minor corrections may still be required. As a result, the final annual accident report could show a slight increase in total fatalities.
Data submitted to the Lok Sabha also indicates improvements on NHs: crashes declined from 1.52 lakh in 2022 to 1.29 lakh in 2024, while deaths fell from 56,007 in 2021 to just over 54,000 last year.
Uttar Pradesh reported one of the sharpest declines in NH fatalities—from 8,446 in 2023 to 5,524 in 2024. Officials noted that despite this progress, much more needs to be done as NHs and state highways—though limited in length—still account for about 55% of all road deaths.
“We are improving roads, technologies, and vehicles, but there is a lack of education among all categories of road users. This must be addressed through awareness, motivation, and enforcement,” said Manoj Bhatt, former Rajasthan DGP.
Experts emphasized that the government should partner with civil society and a broader range of NGOs for large-scale awareness efforts, given the severity of the crisis.
Meanwhile, the government is collaborating with IIT-Kanpur to deploy AI-based tools for mapping and scientifically analysing high-risk zones on NHs. Officials said the technology will help pinpoint reasons for recurrent crashes at specific locations, enabling targeted safety interventions.
The road transport ministry also plans to amend the Motor Vehicles Act by introducing stricter rules for issuing driving licences and a negative-points system for dangerous driving, which could lead to licence suspension or cancellation.
