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India recorded more than 1.77 lakh road accident deaths in 2024, reflecting a 2.3% increase from the previous year, according to information shared with Parliament. The data showed that an average of 485 people lost their lives every day. The government highlighted global targets under the Stockholm Declaration, which aims to reduce road deaths and injuries by 50% by 2030. Police records from 2023 had already indicated a high accident burden, with over 4.80 lakh accidents, 1.72 lakh deaths, and nearly 4.63 lakh injuries. India's fatality rate also remained higher than China but lower than the United States.
India reported a rise in road accident fatalities in 2024, with more than 1.77 lakh deaths recorded across all categories of roads. This reflected a 2.3% increase compared with the previous year. The figures were shared in a written reply to the Lok Sabha, where the government noted that the data incorporated inputs from States and Union Territories along with information for West Bengal collected through the eDAR portal. Advertisement
The Ministry informed lawmakers that the country continued to witness a high daily toll, with around 485 people losing their lives each day during 2024. This increase followed the already significant accident numbers reported for 2023, when Police Departments across States and UTs recorded 4,80,583 road accidents. These incidents resulted in 1,72,890 deaths and injuries to 4,62,825 people, indicating persistent gaps in road safety enforcement and infrastructure design.
The government also referred to comparative data in the World Road Statistics 2024, which placed India's fatality rate at 11.89 per lakh population. This was significantly higher than China's rate of 4.3 but lower than the United States' rate of 12.76. These comparisons have continued to highlight India's need for stricter safety measures and consistent implementation across regions.
The minister stated that the Stockholm Declaration, adopted at the 3rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in early 2020, set a global commitment to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by 50% by 2030. India remains aligned with this target, although current numbers show the scale of work required to achieve it.
The ministry said the government is working with a multi-layered strategy based on the four Es-Education, Engineering (of both roads and vehicles), Enforcement, and Emergency Care. Several initiatives under these pillars are already underway, including improvements to road design, awareness campaigns, and enhanced emergency response frameworks. These efforts have been part of India's broader attempts over the past few years to reduce preventable road deaths and improve road-user behaviour.
Source PTI
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