Accident deaths on nationwide highways this yr seem like on monitor to exceed the earlier yr’s determine, reveals information tabled by the Ministry of Highway Transport and Highways in Lok Sabha on Thursday.
In response to the information, 29,018 individuals died on nationwide highways within the first six months of this yr — that is greater than 50% of the whole fatalities of final yr.
Nationwide highways in India account for over 30% of highway accident deaths, despite the fact that they comprise solely 2% of the whole highway community.
The information reveals 67,933 accidents happened on nationwide highways as much as June 2025.
In 2024, 53,090 individuals died in 1,25,873 accidents throughout nationwide highways. In 2023, 53,630 individuals died in 1,23,955 accidents.
The information relies on data despatched by states and Union Territories to the Digital Detailed Accident Report (eDAR) portal — a central repository for reporting, managing and analysing highway accident information.
The whole variety of highway accident deaths in 2023 was greater than 1.72 lakh. The Union authorities has set an formidable goal to halve such deaths by 2030.
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Highway Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari mentioned the ministry is enterprise each short-term and long-term remedial measures to cut back such deaths. These embody highway markings, signage installations, crash boundaries, raised pavement markers, geometric enhancements, junction redesigns, spot widening of carriageways and development of underpasses or overpasses, amongst different measures.
“In new NH initiatives on excessive density and excessive pace corridors of NHAI, set up of ATMS (Superior Visitors Administration System) is mostly part of the venture. Additional, ATMS can be applied as standalone initiatives in already constructed essential corridors. ATMS has provisions for numerous digital enforcement units which assist in speedy identification of incidents on the freeway stretches and successfully monitor the highways, thereby enhancing the response time of the on-site help,” mentioned Gadkari whereas responding to a query by BJP MP Tejasvi Surya.
The federal government has recognized highway engineering as one of many largest components of accident deaths.
Over the previous few months, Gadkari himself has been important about consultants concerned in highway designing and development. In a speech in March, he mentioned highway accidents and fatalities in India are growing due to poor civil engineers, consultants, concessionaires and substandard detailed venture reviews (DPRs).
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The ministry just lately initiated a course of to alter the choice parameters for consultants for the preparation of DPRs.
Freeway hazard
Supply: Ministry of Highway Transport and Highways