Over-speeding Caused 82,124 Road Accidents in India in 2025
UPSC / SSC current affairs note · Economy
Why in news
The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, revealed in a written reply to the Lok Sabha that over-speeding caused 82,124 road accidents in India in 2025, accounting for about 16% of all road crashes. This data highlights the persistent issue of road safety in India, with a significant surge in accidents and fatalities.
Background
India has consistently reported high numbers of road accidents and fatalities. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) releases annual accident statistics, and the government has been implementing measures like the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 to improve road safety.
Key facts
Over-speeding caused 82,124 road accidents in India in 2025, about 16% of total road crashes.
Total road accidents in 2025 surged by 5.3% to 513,563, with 183,382 fatalities.
Every hour, 21 people died in road crashes; every day, 502 people died due to road accidents.
Tamil Nadu reported the maximum road accidents at 71,387 in 2025.
Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of accident-related fatalities at 27,550 in 2025.
Driving on the wrong side and lane indiscipline caused 4,089 accidents.
Jumping red lights caused 276 accidents, and using mobile phones while driving resulted in 136 mishaps.
On average, 59 road accidents occurred every hour in 2025.
Police departments in states and UTs reported 285,770 road accidents in the first six months of 2026.
Prelims pointers
- Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH)
- Lok Sabha
- Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019
- National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)
- Road safety data: 513,563 accidents, 183,382 fatalities in 2025
- Tamil Nadu: highest accidents (71,387)
- Uttar Pradesh: highest fatalities (27,550)
- Over-speeding: 82,124 accidents (16%)
Mains angles
- Discuss the causes of road accidents in India and suggest measures to improve road safety.
- Critically examine the effectiveness of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 in reducing road accidents.
- Analyze the role of state and central governments in implementing road safety measures.