Overview
- Government data tabled in the Rajya Sabha confirm an all-time high of 177,177 fatalities in 2024, up 2.5% from 2023, averaging about 485 deaths a day.
- About 1.24 lakh deaths—roughly 70% of the total—were attributed to speeding, reaffirming it as the dominant risk factor after a years-long rise.
- Non-use of helmets and seatbelts accounted for 69,088 deaths (about 39%), with helmet-related fatalities notably high in Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
- Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest overall toll at 24,118, while speed-linked deaths were especially pronounced in Tamil Nadu (12,010), Karnataka (nearly 92% of 11,360) and Madhya Pradesh (about 81% of 11,970).
- MoRTH said traffic enforcement rests with states and it is providing data-driven support; mandatory highway safety audits are in place, and Punjab reports fewer deaths on stretches covered by its Sadak Surakhya Force using speed-gun vehicles.