Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari informed the Lok Sabha that 178,000 people are killed annually in road accidents in India, with 60% of the victims falling within the 18-34 age group. He expressed concern over the lack of fear of the law, highlighting risky behaviours such as riding two-wheelers without helmets and jumping red lights.
Gadkari described the situation as "strange" and urged better enforcement of traffic rules. He pointed out that Uttar Pradesh records the highest number of road accident fatalities, with over 23,000 deaths (13.7% of the total), followed by Tamil Nadu with over 18,000 deaths (10.6%).
Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh also report significant fatalities, with over 15,000 (9%) and 13,000 (8%) deaths, respectively. In cities, Delhi leads with over 1,400 fatalities, followed by Bengaluru with 915 and Jaipur with 850.
(ET)