Over 1.1 lakh 2-wheeler riders and pedestrians killed on roads in 2024 | India News
New Delhi: At least six out of every 10 road accident victims in India in 2024 were two-wheeler drivers/pedestrians, according to the latest report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). An analysis of four years of data shows a steady increase in both the proportion and number of two-wheeler drivers and pedestrians killed in accidents amid the government’s focus on making vehicles safer.NCRB data for 2024 shows that over 1.1 lakh deaths – 64% of the total 1.75 lakh road accidents – were of two-wheeler drivers and pedestrians. The data also shows that the share of pedestrians killed in road accidents exceeds that of car occupants, making pedestrians the second-most affected category of road users after two-wheelers. The trend highlights the low priority given to pedestrian safety in the development of the country’s road network.At 15.1%, car occupants accounted for the second-highest share (23,531) of road deaths in 2021. However, in 2022, the number of pedestrian fatalities reached 24,742, surpassing the number of vehicle occupant deaths, and this trend has continued over the past three years. In 2024, the number of pedestrian deaths was 25,769, second only to two-wheeler deaths, which were 84,599.Road safety experts across the world, including in India, have urged policymakers to focus more on the safety of motorized two-wheelers, which remain the most affordable and convenient mode of personal transport for millions. They account for nearly three-quarters of all vehicles.Tamil Nadu (11,786) and Uttar Pradesh (8,575) reported the highest number of deaths due to two-wheeler accidents.According to the report, the majority of road accidents (61.2%) are due to over-speeding, which accounts for more than one lakh deaths. Dangerous and careless driving or overtaking claimed 46,132 lives.Road-wise classification of accident data shows that national highways and state highways account for nearly one lakh deaths (58% of all deaths) in 2024.
