India Is Seeing Fewer, But More Deadly Road Accidents

Every hour in 2022, 19 people died due to road crashes, data from the Road Accidents in India report for 2022, the latest available, show. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways collates an annual report on accidents on Indian roads, and measures the severity of road crashes--or the number of people killed per 100 accidents. During this period, the severity rose from 28.2 to 36.5.

Experts point to longer travel distances, a rise in car ownership and the growing length of national highways as factors for rising fatalities. This makes cities more dangerous for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and two-wheeler riders.

Pedestrian and two-wheeler riders are vulnerable to road accident injuries

A World Bank report indicates hidden urbanisation, with 55.3% of India's population living in urban-like areas, contrasting with the official census figure of 31%--an anomaly explained by the fact that the last census was in 2011. It also says India has growing urban sprawl, with urban areas expanding outside official boundaries. This has increased commute times, with Indian workers spending nearly two hours daily on travel in 2023, as reported by MoveInSync, a Bengaluru-based employee commute solutions company.

With cities growing wider and expanding into surrounding neighbourhoods, national and state highways are becoming ‘urban highways’, says Chetan Sodaye, manager, Integrated Transport and Road Safety programmes with the World Resources Institute (WRI) India, a think-tank focusing on sustainable and livable cities. When highways cut through cities, they become regular routes for commuters. But since they are not designed with urban standards in mind, issues arise, like pedestrians attempting to cross in unsafe environments because proper crossings or signals aren’t provided.

The rapid expansion of India’s National Highway network, which grew by 60% from 91,287 km in 2014 to 146,145 km by November 2023, including the rise in four-lane (2.6 times from 18,371 km in 2014 to 48,422 km by November 2023), has been accompanied by an increase in highway deaths by 28% (from 47,649 in 2014 to 61,038 in 2022).

While infrastructure development aims to support connectivity and economic growth, it has also contributed to a 9% rise in road traffic injuries in 2022, with 168,491 deaths compared to 2021. In 2022, National Highways accounted for 36% of India’s road accident deaths while state highways accounted for 24%, even as these highways together formed 4.9% of Indian roads in 2019, the latest data available for total road length.

Most Indians travel to work on foot or by bicycle (58% and 48.9% workers in rural and urban areas, respectively). In urban areas, little more than 20% of workers travel to work by motorised two-wheelers, as per a 2018 study from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.

“The surge in traffic volume, particularly at access-controlled expressways intersecting with villages, raises conflict points and subsequently the number of crashes near villages increases,” says Karuna Raina, director of public policy & research at SaveLIFE Foundation, an independent non-profit organisation focussed on improving road safety and emergency medical care. “Moreover, while the design speeds for these roads are high, the corresponding road infrastructure--such as safety features, signage, lane markings, lighting and barriers--is often inadequate.”

India added 105 million vehicles in just seven years (2008-2015), a milestone that previously took nearly 60 years to reach. Growth in the car and two-wheeler segments has averaged over 10% annually, between 2010 and 2020, as per the data from the Road transport Year Book 2019-20. The registration of two-wheelers in India grew from 0.027 million in 1951 to 243.68 million in 2020, making it the dominant vehicle type. This category accounted for 74.7% of all registered motor vehicles in 2020, up from 8.8% in 1951.

Despite fewer vehicles in smaller cities compared to megacities, motorisation per thousand people is often higher due to insufficient public transport systems, according to a 2018 study by the Centre for Environment and Science, a research organisation based in New Delhi. Lack of adequate public transport in cities leads to crowding in the bus and rail systems, and people are forced to choose auto rickshaws, two-wheelers, private taxis and cars leading to congestion on roads, as per a 2023 study from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

“Many in the lower income bracket ride cycles or two-wheelers out of necessity, with bus fares even being too high for some. This raises equity concerns. In countries like India and Africa, crash rates are higher than in the U.S., where cars provide better protection,” says Karun Raina of Save Life Foundation.

Data show significant rise in the share of fatalities among vulnerable groups, especially pedestrians and two-wheeler riders, pointing to a need for targeted road safety measures.

The number of pedestrians killed increased from 2012 to 2022, nearly doubling from 12,031 in 2012 to 32,825 in 2022. Their share in total road fatalities rose from 8.7% in 2012 to 19.5% in 2022, highlighting growing vulnerability.

Bicycle-related deaths declined until 2017 but then saw a slight resurgence, reaching 4,836 in 2022. Despite fluctuations, their share of total fatalities remained low, peaking at 4.8% in 2012 and dropping to 2.9% in 2022.

Deaths of two-wheeler users rose sharply, from 35,767 in 2012 to 74,897 in 2022. Their share in total fatalities consistently increased, from 25.9% in 2012 to 44.5% in 2022, showing the highest growth among all categories.

Reasons for road crashes

Road crashes in 2022 were caused by various factors, including human error, road conditions, and vehicle maintenance, with overspeeding as the leading cause, accounting for 72% of crashes, 71% of deaths and 72% of injuries. Compared to 2021, crashes due to overspeeding rose by 12.8%, fatalities increased by 11.8%, and injuries grew by 15.2%, while driving on the wrong side contributed to 4.9% of total crashes.

The current speed limit on four-lane highways is 80 km per hour, but the World Health Organisation (WHO) has suggested lowering it to 55-57 km per hour to potentially save 30-37% of lives. Road design must accommodate all users, including vulnerable groups, as IndiaSpend reported in April 2019.

Weather conditions like heavy rain and fog increase crash risk by reducing visibility, but 75% of crashes and fatalities occurred in clear weather. Adverse weather conditions accounted for 16.6% of total crashes in 2022.

Another reason is overloaded vehicles and those with protruding or hanging loads which pose significant road traffic hazards, endangering both drivers and other road users. In 2022, overloaded vehicles were responsible for 6.1% of total crashes, 7.2% of fatalities and 6.5% of injuries.

There should also be access to trauma care within the 'golden hour’--the critical first hour after trauma, during which timely first aid significantly increases the chances of survival for road crash victims. A 2015 WHO study indicates that 54% of the 45 million deaths in low- and middle-income countries annually are due to conditions that could be addressed by pre-hospital and emergency care, as IndiaSpend reported in February 2020.

"A key reason for higher severity is the delay or incompetence of trauma care, where salvageable lives are lost due to slow or inadequate response,” says Piyush Tewari, founder and CEO of SaveLIFE Foundation.

Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal recorded 4,561 road crashes in 2014, prompting a major road safety initiative, the Safe Drive Save Life (SDSL) campaign, launched in 2016. Aimed at reducing road fatalities by 20% by 2020, SDSL achieved a 51.8% reduction in crash deaths from 2016 to 2021 through interventions focused on road safety management, engineering improvements, enforcement and education. This included measures such as installing red light violation cameras, mandatory helmet compliance and random police checks. Key engineering changes addressed poor road design, with funds allocated for road markings and speed calming, while trauma care facilities and emergency aid training were expanded across the state. The campaign involved multi-sectoral collaboration and public awareness initiatives, supporting the government’s vision for safer roads and a long-term goal of zero fatalities.

IndiaSpend reached out to the offices of the Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, the Joint Secretary for Highways Vinay Kumar, and Deputy Secretary of the Road Safety Cell R.R. Meena. We inquired about the measures the ministry is taking to reduce speed on highways and improve trauma care, and will update the story when we receive a response.

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