India's road accidents rise 4.2% in 2023, fatalities hit 1.7L
What's the story
India witnessed a staggering 4.8 lakh road accidents in 2023, marking the third consecutive year of increase, and a 4.2% rise from 2022. These accidents claimed 172,890 lives, the highest ever, amid greater spending on safer infrastructure and road safety measures. The report "Road Accidents in India 2023," released by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, revealed that national highways accounted for a whopping 31.2% of these accidents despite constituting only 2.1% of India's total road length.
State statistics
Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh top states
Tamil Nadu topped the list with 67,213 road accidents (13.9% of all cases nationwide), for the sixth consecutive year. It was followed by Madhya Pradesh (11.5%), Kerala (10%), and Uttar Pradesh (9.3%). However, Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of fatalities with 23,652 deaths (13.7%). The state was followed by Tamil Nadu (10.6%), Maharashtra (8.9%), and Madhya Pradesh (8%).
Severity index
Severity of accidents, urban-rural divide
Uttar Pradesh recorded a high accident severity of 53.1, while Tamil Nadu stood at 27.3 against the all-India average of 36. The report also highlighted the urban-rural divide in road accidents, with rural areas accounting for about 68.5% of deaths in 2023 as opposed to urban areas, which accounted for only about one-third (31.5%).
Vehicle involvement
Two-wheelers and million-plus cities
For the third consecutive year, two-wheelers accounted for the highest share in total accidents at 46.5% and fatalities at 44.8% during 2023. The report also provided road accident statistics for cities with a population of over one million, accounting for a total of 81,144 accidents (16.9%) and 17,255 fatalities (10% share) in 2023.