A few days ago, a private bus caught fire following a road accident in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, claiming several lives. Just recently, similar tragic accidents occurred in Jaipur, Rajasthan and Chevella, Telangana, where many people lost their lives. 
Road accidents have become a daily occurrence somewhere or other in the country, killing dozens and leaving families devastated. In addition to the fatalities, a large number of people are injured. Looking at the official figures of deaths and injuries, India indeed appears to be turning into a ‘nation of accidents’.
In the recent Chevella accident, 19 people were killed and 24 injured. In four accidents in Andhra Pradesh, eight people lost their lives and 33 were injured, while in Jaipur, Rajasthan, 14 people died and 13 were seriously injured.
● Delhi Records the Highest Number of Accidents.
According to statistics, Telangana recorded 22,903 road accidents in 2023, injuring around 21,000 people. For every 1,00,000 people, more than 35 die due to road accidents, In 2022, there were 7,859 serious road accidents. From 2022 to the end of September this year, road accidents in the state increased by 1.33%. Among Indian states, Delhi has the highest number of accidents. Nationwide, in the first six months of 2025, India witnessed 67,933 road accidents, resulting in 29,018 deaths. Most of these occurred on state and national highways. Looking at the past five years. 2024 1,25,873 accidents, 53,090 deaths. 2023 4,64,029 accidents, 1,73,000 deaths (NCRB data) 2022 4,61,312 accidents, 1,68,491 deaths. 2021 4,12,432 accidents, 1,53,972 deaths. 2020 3,72,181 accidents, 1,38,383 deaths.
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), which released its report in late September this year, revealed that 46% of the deceased were two-wheeler riders. The bureau attributed the majority of accidents to over speeding and negligence. Compared to 2022, 2023 saw 17,261 more accidents and 1.6% more fatalities.
Among all road accident deaths 45.8% were two-wheeler riders, 15.9% were pedestrians (27,586 deaths), 14.3% involved SUVs, cars, or jeeps (24,776 deaths). Tamil Nadu ranked first in two-wheeler fatalities (11,490 cases), followed by Uttar Pradesh (8,370 cases). Every year, 34.6% of fatal accidents occur on national highways and 23.4% on state highways. According to NCRB’s detailed analysis, 58.6% of accidents and 26.6% of deaths are caused by over speeding and driver carelessness. Other contributing factors include poor weather conditions, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, which also lead to numerous accidents and deaths across the country.