A viral video highlighting reckless behavior by a child in a moving car sparked outrage and calls for action against the parents. Road accident fatalities in India reached 1,77,177 in 2024, with Delhi’s toll rising to 1,617 in 2025.
A video has gone viral on social media, showing what could have been a fatal road accident, caused by a ‘prank’. The video, posted on Instagram, showed a boy seated on the backseat of a car hurling water balloons at bikers passing by on a flyover in Delhi.
The Instagram user sachinmvlogs2510, who posted the video, said the boy first hurled a water balloon at him and would do the same to other bikers as well.
‘Prank’ causes near-fatal crash
As the Instagram user continued to film, the boy did exactly that – hurled a water balloon at another biker.
The video showed the second biker wobbling and nearly crashing into a boundary wall, from where he could have fallen down.
What followed was even more shocking. As the biker who filmed the incident decided to confront the occupants of the car, they refused to stop or even slow down, despite him asking them to do so many times.
Parents ‘enjoy’ child’s prank
A woman in the car’s front seat was seen laughing even as the biker asked the boy’s parents to slow down.
Social media users seek accountability
The video soon went viral across social media platforms, with many expressing shock and disgust over the parents’ behaviour towards their child’s reckless act.
Many also tagged Delhi Police and Delhi Traffic Police in the comment section, demanding strict action against the child’s parents.
Delhi Police responds
Responding to the viral video, the Delhi Police on Sunday said the offending vehicle has been challaned under the relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act for dangerous driving and violation of the law.
1.77 lakh lives lost on roads in 2024
In December 2025, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari told the Parliament that a total of 1.77 lakh people were killed in 4,80,583 road accidents across India in 2024
In other words, 485 people died in road crashes every day in 2024.
“As per information received from states/UTs, total number of road accident fatalities reported in the country on all category of roads during 2024 were 1,77,177, which includes data in respect of Bengal taken from electronic detailed accident report (eDAR) portal,” Gadkari informed the Lok Sabha.
1,617 road accidents deaths in Delhi in 2025
Data released in January 2026 showed that a total of 1,617 deaths were recorded in 1,578 fatal accidents in Delhi in 2025.
This was the highest fatality figure since 2019 and represented a clear increase from 2024, when 1,551 people were killed in 1,504 fatal accidents.
According to the police, several factors, including excessive speeding, driving on the wrong side of the road and driving under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicating substances, were the cause of the rise in road accident cases. In addition to these, there were other factors such as distracted driving, poor adherence to traffic rules and occasional lapses in road safety awareness.
Key Takeaways
- Road safety awareness is crucial, especially concerning the behavior of passengers in vehicles.
- Social media can amplify incidents of reckless behavior, leading to public accountability.
- The rising number of fatalities in road accidents in India underscores the need for stricter traffic regulations.
About the Author
Bobins Vayalil Abraham
Bobins loves telling the human side of all stories, from the intersection of geopolitics, international relations, and conflicts around the world. In his nearly one-and-a-half-decade career as a journalist, Bobins has covered South Asia, the Middle East, and North America, from elections to mass protests and conflicts.
Bobins has also done extensive reporting on environmental issues, climate change, and sustainability, focusing on solutions and people working to make the planet a better place to live.
In 2018, Bobins was awarded by Times Internet for the impact of his story on Delhi tree cuttings. Bobins also loves telling the stories of Indian startups and the journey of their founders.
Total Years of Experience: 14
Years of experience at LM: Bobins has been a part of Live Mint since February 2026
Interests: When he is not tracking conflicts, Bobins loves to cook, travel across India, click photos, and watch documentaries on history. Past Experience: Before joining Live Mint, Bobins worked with The Indian Express, where he led the Global Breaking News coverage, Indiatimes, where he led the news team, covering everything trending, ANI, where the focus of his coverage was South Asia, and NBS News.
Current Role: Bobins is currently working as an Assistant Editor at Live Mint.
