Cyrus Mistry, the former head of the Tata Group, was killed in a car crash on the National Highway in the Palghar region of Maharashtra on Sunday. The incident has again brought attention to a large number of annual deaths on Indian roadways.
Risky commutes
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) estimates that there are 1.5 million traffic-related deaths in India annually, with National Highways being responsible for around a third of these.
Even while the number of traffic accidents decreased from 4,45,730 in 2017 to 4,03,116 in 2021, the number of people killed in those incidents rose from 1,50,093 to 1,55,622.
The National Highway System exhibits a parallel pattern. In 2017, there were 1,30,942 accidents on U.S. highways, and as many as 50,859 persons were killed.
Although the number of accidents on America’s highways decreased to 1,22,204 that year, the death toll rose to 53,615.
Data shows that between 2017 and 2021, the annual average of accidents and deaths is around 4.4 lakh and 1.5 lakh, respectively, with the exception of the pandemic year of 2020, when widespread lockdowns were implemented.
Effect of lockdown
In 2020, the number of accidents reduced to about 3.5 million, while the number of fatalities fell to about 1.33 million.
In 2020, there were fewer deaths and accidents on America’s highways (1,06,933), with 45,275 lives lost. The annual average for accidents over this time frame was 1.28 million, with about 50,000 fatalities.
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In terms of fatalities per 100-kilometer distance
The NCRB started keeping track of fatalities per 100 kilometers of road in 2018 as the length of national highways has grown steadily longer each year. This information suggests that in 2018, there were 44 fatalities for every 100,000 kilometers traveled on national highways. There was a little decrease in the number in 2021 when it dropped to 40.
Causes of fatal accidents that occur during rides
NCRB reports that the peak times for traffic accidents and fatalities are between 6 and 9 p.m. on any given day, as well as in January and December. According to our sources, this is primarily because of the low visibility during such times.
Negligent driving and excessive speeding are the primary causes of traffic fatalities worldwide. According to the most recent data from the NCRB, speeding was responsible for 87,000 deaths, or more than half of all fatalities, while reckless driving was responsible for another 42,000.
Most fatalities in 2021 were caused by two-wheeled vehicles (44.5%) and buses (3%), as was the case in previous years.
For example, between 2020 and 2021, the number of traffic accident cases rose from 46,443 in Tamil Nadu to 57,090 in Kerala, 43,360 in Madhya Pradesh to 49,493, 30,593 in Uttar Pradesh to 36,509 in Maharashtra, and 24,908 in Uttar Pradesh to 30,086. (from 27,998 to 33,051).
