Overview

• Karnataka recorded 43,439 road accidents in 2023, a 9.2% increase over 2022 that ranked third among states and union territories for the highest percentage rise.
• The state reported 12,322 road deaths last year, including 915 in Bengaluru, with about 29% of those injured in crashes statewide succumbing.
• Among 53 major cities, Bengaluru saw a 30.3% jump in crashes and the highest pedestrian toll with 292 deaths, or 9.48% of the urban total.
• Senior officers attribute the pedestrian risk to inaccessible or absent footpaths, encroachments, garbage accumulation and a growing number of accident black spots.
• Officials report weak rule enforcement in rural areas and note that a successful 2024 drive to map city black spots was not expanded, as vehicle numbers, new drivers and tourism continue to climb.