Q. why SuMarg & answer is - for minimising below DATA.
A quiet reading of India's road crash record — the long trend, who is dying, why, where and when. All figures are drawn from official MoRTH publications and Government statements, with the year of each data point clearly marked.
Headline indicators use the latest year available for each measure; see labels for the year.
While you have been reading
At the 2024 reported rate, India loses one life on its roads roughly every 2 minutes 58 seconds.
01 — The long trend
Crashes dipped sharply in 2020 during the pandemic lockdowns, then returned. By 2022 fatalities had crossed every previous record, and 2023 rose again to 1,72,890 deaths. The 2024 MoRTH report records 1,77,175 deaths.
Crashes — total reported road accidents
Deaths — persons killed
Source: MoRTH, Road Accidents in India, 2016–2024. 2024 figures are from the published annual report.
Rise in annual road deaths between 2019 and 2023.
Share of the world's road crash deaths that occur in India, with about 1% of the world's vehicles (WHO).
Estimated annual socio-economic cost of road crashes to India.
02 — Who is dying
Two-wheeler riders, pedestrians and cyclists — the road users with the least protection — account for roughly 67% of all fatalities. The burden also falls overwhelmingly on the working-age population.
The 18–45 age band alone accounts for 66.5% of road deaths; 18–60 accounts for about 83%. Males make up roughly 86% of all victims.
Two-wheeler occupants killed (2022) — 44.5% of all deaths.
Pedestrians killed (2022) — 19.5% of all deaths.
Car, taxi, van & LMV occupants killed (2022).
Cyclists killed (2022) — 2.9% of all deaths.
03 — Why it happens
Over-speeding was recorded as the cause in roughly 71% of all road crash deaths in 2022 — far ahead of every other violation. Driving on the wrong side, drunken driving, red-light jumping and mobile phone use follow.
Note: causes are as recorded by state police in the MoRTH reporting format; a single crash is attributed to one primary cause.
A large share of deaths involve the simplest, cheapest safety measures going unused.
In 2024, MoRTH stated that about 30,000 deaths were linked to riders not wearing helmets, and roughly 10,000 children died in crashes near schools and colleges.
04 — Where it happens
National Highways and State Highways together form a small fraction of India's road length but carry most of its fast-moving traffic — and account for about 60% of all deaths.
Rural stretches account for roughly two-thirds of fatalities; urban areas see more crashes per kilometre but lower severity.
05 — When it happens
Crashes cluster in the late afternoon and evening — between 3 pm and 9 pm, when traffic volumes, fatigue and fading light overlap. Roughly 36% of all crashes fall in this six-hour window.
06 — State by state
Persons killed in road accidents, top 12 states · 2022. Source: MoRTH.
*Severity = persons killed per 100 road accidents. All figures for calendar year 2022 (MoRTH, Road Accidents in India 2022).
07 — 2024, official totals
The detailed Road Accidents in India 2024 volume is the authoritative record. Until it is tabled in full, the following figures — stated publicly by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways — are the official position.
People killed in road accidents in 2024 — about 485 each day.
Reported road accidents in 2024 — around 56 per hour.
People injured in reported road accidents in 2024.
Deaths per 100 reported accidents in 2024 (accident severity).
Deaths attributed to riders not wearing helmets (government-reported figure).
Reported child deaths in crashes near school and college gates.
Reported victims aged 18–34.
India has committed to halving road crash deaths by 2030 under the UN Decade of Action and SDG 3.6.
The 4E framework — Education, Engineering (roads and vehicles), Enforcement and Emergency care — including black-spot rectification and cashless treatment for crash victims.
Deaths have risen in each post-pandemic year. Reaching the 2030 target requires a reduction of over 8% every year from here.
Notes & sources
The detailed annual report. Source for all category-wise breakdowns on this page: road-user type, age, cause, road classification, time of day, helmet and seat belt use, and state tables.
morth.nic.in/road-accident-in-india →4,87,707 reported accidents, 1,77,175 persons killed and 4,71,441 injured in 2024. These are the published annual totals, not provisional estimates.
MoRTH official website →4,80,583 accidents, 1,72,890 persons killed and 4,62,825 injured in 2023. For 2024, MoRTH reported 4,87,707 accidents, 1,77,175 deaths and 4,71,441 injuries.
For 2024 headline totals, use the published MoRTH annual report. The 30,000 helmet-related deaths, 10,000 child deaths near schools and 66% age-group figures are retained only as government-stated figures and should be checked against the relevant release.
pib.gov.in →Context for India's share of global road deaths and the economic cost of crashes.
A note on precision. Figures marked 2022 are from the published MoRTH report. 2023 and 2024 headline totals are from the Ministry's published annual reports. Percentage shares for cause, age and time-of-day are rounded and derived from the published tables; minor rounding differences mean some categories may not sum to exactly 100. Reported crashes are known to under-count actual road trauma.