Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday highlighted the country’s road safety crisis, noting that around five lakh accidents are reported annually. He called for stricter norms, helmet use and safer infrastructure to reduce fatalities.
Road Transport & Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday issued a stark warning about the country’s road safety crisis, saying that every year, India’s roads claim more lives than war or disease.
Gadkari made these remarks at a road safety event organised by ICICI Lombard General Insurance in Delhi, news agency ANI reported.
Highlighting the scale of the crisis, he said that the country records roughly five lakh road accidents annually, resulting in 1.8 lakh deaths, 66 per cent of whom are young people, calling it a loss that the country cannot afford.
India’s road accidents soar: Here’s why
The minister revealed that last year, 54,132 people lost their lives because they were not wearing helmets, while two-wheeler riders accounted for nearly 45 per cent of all road fatalities. He added, “Every hour, 20 people die on our roads. Such a scale of death is not seen even in disease or war.”
Gadkari noted, “If two-wheeler users start wearing helmets, then it would help in reducing fatalities and serious injuries due to road accidents.”
Among the vehicle categories involved in road fatalities, two-wheelers accounted for the highest share in 2025, Gadkari said, adding that they were followed by light vehicles, such as cars, taxis, vans and other light motor vehicles (LMVs), and trucks/lorries.
In terms of road-user categories, two-wheeler riders accounted for the highest share of total fatalities at 46.2 per cent, followed by pedestrians at 20.6 per cent and those using cars, taxis, vans and LMVs at 12.4 per cent.
In the first six months of 2026, police departments across states and Union Territories reported a total of 2,85,770 road accidents, the minister added.
Ministry identifies accident-prone roads: Gadkari
Gadkari also identified poorly designed, accident-prone roads or “black spots” as one of the key contributors to fatalities. To eliminate these, he noted that the Central government is spending ₹40,000 crore. Additionally, the Road Transport & Highways Ministry has identified 100 districts across India where most accidents occur, and targeted interventions are underway in these areas.
“We are working to reduce road fatalities to zero. Authorities have also identified 100 districts with high accident rates and are targeting black spots for urgent intervention,” he said.
India takes third spot in road network, top spot in fatalities: Gadkari
The minister also highlighted the paradox in India’s road development story. Speaking at the event, Gadkari said that India has overtaken Japan to become the world’s third-largest road network, behind only the United States and China. However, the country also holds the unfortunate distinction of having the highest number of road accidents globally, marking a sharp contrast with Sweden, where road fatalities are now zero due to disciplined systems and strict enforcement.
“Human behaviour remains our biggest weakness,” Gadkari said, adding that improving infrastructure and enforcement alone would not be enough unless people also changed their behaviour on the road.
The minister also said, “Road safety is a shared national responsibility that requires the collective efforts of government, institutions, industry and every road user. While we continue to strengthen road infrastructure, vehicle safety standards and enforcement, creating awareness and encouraging responsible road behaviour remain equally important. Sustained community engagement, particularly among young people and families, can play a significant role in reducing road accidents and saving lives.”
Gadkari’s remarks underline the urgent need for safer roads and stricter enforcement to reduce road fatalities in the country.
(with agency inputs)
