The last ride home: How road accidents are crashing the lives of lakhs of Indians

As per the recent NCRB report, over 1.75 lakh people lost their lives and over 4.67 lakh were injured in road accidents in India in 2024.

With the focus on high-speed expressway boom, the grim reality is that a life is lost every minute on the roads of India.

As per a recent report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), over 1.75 lakh people lost their lives and over 4.67 lakh were injured in road accidents in India in 2024, indicating a sharp rise from 2023 where over 1.73 lakh people were killed in accidents.

What is even more worrisome is that the highest number of road accident deaths since 2014 was reported in 2024.

Not only are young lives lost to such horrific accidents, but the lives of millions of Indians, and their families, shatter on roads every minute due to road casualties and fatalities.

A case in point is on May 10, 31-year-old Telugu actor and content creator Bharath Kanth died in a road accident. Several reports suggested his car collided with a truck on the Outer Ring Road in Hyderabad.

Just five days before, Malayalam actor Santhosh Nair met with a severe accident in Pathanamthitta, Kerala. Nair lost his life to heart attack while receiving treatment. As per reports, his car lost control and collided with a lorry.

Overspeeding, distracted driving and driving under influence remain the most common causes of road accidents.

In 2022, speeding led to 70% of India road crash deaths, as per a report by Transport Ministry.

Surprisingly, India has just 1% of the global vehicular population, but registers 11% of all global road accident deaths.

While the ghastly numbers can leave one in paranoia, the reality of Indian roads is far more dangerous, with many calling it the deadliest. And it all boils down to our behavioural patterns, quality and maintenance.

"I am a frequent traveler by car from Bengaluru to Mysuru. And the speed aggression that you get to see on the highway, especially on long weekends, is worrisome," says Syed Zeeshan, a 33-year-old corporate employee.

Tyre safety is often neglected

Sudershan S Gusain, chairman, ATMA Safety Awareness Group (Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association), agrees with speed aggression and says that while vehicle technology has advanced significantly with enhanced safety features and India has witnessed substantial improvement in highway infrastructure, road safety continues to remain a multidimensional challenge.

"A large proportion of accidents arises from overspeeding, driver fatigue, traffic violations, distracted driving and non-usage of safety gear. Poor road engineering and inadequate maintenance of vehicles, including tyres, are also important contributing factors," Gusain explains.

While vehicles are often subjected to proper maintenance, the common line between them and the roads is often neglected.

"While tyres are among the most safety-critical components of a vehicle, they also happen to be among the most neglected. Repeated tyre check-up drives conducted by the ATMA and its technical arm, the Indian Tyre Technical Advisory Committee (ITTAC), indicate inadequate levels of tyre maintenance among motorists," Gusain points out.

He further adds that during FY 2025-26, service engineers and ITTAC volunteers checked over one lakh car tyres across the country. Nearly 40% of the vehicles were found to have tyre inflation pressures at least 20% below recommended levels.

"Under-inflated tyres are a serious safety concern as they can increase heat build-up, affect handling and braking performance, and heighten the risk of tyre failure," Gusain says and adds that in addition, nearly 2% of the tyres inspected were found to be excessively worn out.

"This significantly compromises grip and increases braking distance, especially during wet weather conditions. Similar concerns are observed in commercial vehicles and two-wheelers, where overloading, irregular maintenance and extended tyre usage can further aggravate risks," Gusain explains.

An AI-generated photo.

Given India's history of road accident fatalities, Gusain says, the government has taken important steps to strengthen tyre quality and safety standards. Today, only tyres conforming to prescribed standards and carrying BIS certification (ISI mark) can be sold in India, which is a significant safeguard for consumers.

"However, concerns remain regarding the increasing import of waste and worn-out tyres into the country. Since FY 2020-21, imports of waste tyres have reportedly increased manifold. A portion of such tyres, after rudimentary processing, find their way into the replacement market, posing potential safety risks. It is important that consumer awareness and regulatory surveillance continue to be strengthened to ensure that only safe and certified tyres are used on Indian roads," Gusain opines.

Climate conditions have a direct bearing on tyre performance and road safety. Extreme heat can increase tyre temperatures and accelerate wear, while heavy rainfall and flooding can reduce traction and increase the risk of skidding or hydroplaning. In such conditions, maintaining correct tyre pressure, adequate tread depth and timely replacement of worn-out tyres becomes even more critical for safe mobility.

Sudershan S Gusain, Chairman, ATMA Safety Awareness Group

And while speed become imperative on highways and expressways, it's not always about jetting off but maintaining a high and steady speed. And higher speeds demand significantly higher levels of vehicle and tyre maintenance.

"Poor tyre maintenance — including low inflation pressure, worn-out tread, sidewall cuts or bulges — can adversely affect grip, braking efficiency and vehicle stability, particularly on high-speed corridors," Gusain says.

Interestingly, studies in several developed countries also indicate widespread prevalence of under-inflated tyres, suggesting that tyre care awareness is a global road safety challenge.

And on high-speed expressways, many fatal crashes usually involve trucks and buses. To reduce this, Gusain says, enforcement and regulation are important, but sustained awareness and behavioural change are equally critical.

"The ITTAC has been conducting dedicated training and awareness programmes for commercial vehicle drivers and fleet operators in collaboration with organisations such as Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and several State Transport Undertakings across the country. These initiatives focus on tyre inspection practices, maintaining correct inflation pressure, avoiding overloading and identifying early signs of tyre damage," Gusain says.

The ideal inflation pressure ranges between 32 and 36 PSI for cars and 90 to 120 PSI for trucks and buses.

'Road deaths have been normalised'

Tavishi Tewary, head-Impact Assesment, Drishti Foundation Trust, who has been involved in campaigns promoting road safety, says that the biggest gap in the ecosystem is that road safety is still handled in silos.

"Education campaigns are important, but they are too often not matched by consistent enforcement. Enforcement itself is uneven: penalties may be strict in one city and weak in another. Infrastructure also remains a major problem — missing footpaths, poor lighting, unsafe median openings, badly designed junctions, and inadequate signages all increase crash risk," Tewary says.

She insists that emergency response is the final weak link. The “golden hour” after a crash is crucial, yet ambulances, trauma care access, and on-road first response are still inadequate in many parts of the country. A safer system requires all four elements to work together.

While the country is gripped with road accident fatalities, Tewary says, unfortunately, road deaths have been normalised.

"Though fatal crashes are reported daily; they are still seen as individual mistakes rather than symptoms of systemic failure. When thousands die every year due to preventable causes, the issue goes beyond traffic management," Tewary opines.

Urging the policymakers to adopt a “safe system” approach, she says, roads should be designed to reduce the consequences of human error.

"That means safer speeds, safer road design, safer vehicles, safer users, and better post-crash care. Society also has to change its mindset. We must stop normalising dangerous habits such as drunk driving, overspeeding, helmetless riding, and jaywalking. When a crash occurs, the question should not be only 'who was at fault?' but also 'what in the system failed?'," Tewary says.

Through their road safety campaigns, Tewary says, the most worrisome behavioural pattern they have found is overconfidence.

Among young riders and drivers, speed is often seen as excitement rather than risk. On two-wheelers, the common violations are no helmet, loose helmet straps, triple riding, mobile-phone use, stunts, and lane indiscipline. Among car users, there is a false sense of security that “short trips” do not need seatbelts or that city roads do not require full attention. Another troubling pattern is the influence of peer behaviour, particularly due to the influence of social media."

Many young riders copy unsafe habits because they are widely accepted in their social circles. The result is that risk becomes socially reinforced, not socially discouraged.

Many two-wheeler riders wear helmets only to avoid fines, and a significant number do not fasten the chin strap. Seatbelts are still seen by some as optional for short city drives. What is most concerning is that risky behaviour is often normalised: speeding, mobile phone use, lane cutting, triple riding, and wrong-side driving are frequently treated as routine rather than dangerous. So, despite the awareness, compliance is inconsistent.

Dr Tavishi Tewary, Head-Impact Assement, Drishti Foundation Trust

'Most preventable deaths are caused by delay in treatment'

Dr (Col) Suvasish Chakraberty, chief - Emergency, Artemis Hospitals, tells you that the most common injuries they see in cases of road accidents are fractures, head injuries and soft tissue damage.

"The most serious cases are usually traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, internal bleeding and injury to multiple organs. Head injuries are common among two-wheeler riders due to non-use of helmets and car passengers are prone to chest and abdominal injuries. In high-speed crashes, polytrauma involving several body regions is more common," Chakraberty says.

However, alarmingly, these injuries are life threatening and require immediate coordinated medical intervention to improve the chance of survival.

"Most of the preventable deaths are caused by delay in treatment. The golden hour after an accident is a matter of life and death. This vital period is often lost through traffic congestion, delays to ambulance response and limited access to trauma centres. Getting prompt medical attention can prevent internal bleeding and head injuries from rapidly worsening in victims. Speedier transportation and quicker medical attention can often do a lot. Better roads, better trauma care and emergency response systems can also help reduce these preventable deaths," Chakraberty opines.

He highlights that there is clear a sign of an increase in the number of high-impact crashes associated with unsafe driving behaviours.

"Emergency rooms are seeing more life-threatening cases that could have been avoided by driving responsibly," he says.

As per the latest NCRB data, evening rush hours contribute to highest road accidents, and Chakraberty agrees with it.

"You can see clear patterns. The weekends and late nights witness a high number of accidents, usually related to fatigue, overspeeding and drinking. Festivals seasons also see an increase in cases due to congested roads, travel over long distances and inattentive driving. Such times are usually associated with more serious injuries from reckless behaviour," Chakraberty opines.

One of the worst mistakes by bystanders of road accidents is to move the injured person without proper support, particularly in suspected spinal injuries. This can result in permanent paralysis. Many people also crowd around to delay air flow and emergency access. Another dangerous practice is to give food or water to victims who are unconscious. Some onlookers are recording videos instead of calling for help. Until professionals arrive, calm, quick action and minimal movement of the victim are critical.

Dr (Col) Suvasish Chakraberty, Chief - Emergency, Artemis Hospitals

Many survive the accident, but continue to suffer

Dr Praveen Gupta, chairman, MAIINS, Marengo Asia Hospitals, Gurugram, says that in cases of road accidents sometimes patients may look normal from the outside, but there can be serious internal brain injury.

"Many patients also suffer concussions, memory problems, or weakness in hands and legs. Bike accidents are especially dangerous because riders are more exposed," Gupta says and adds that they see 10-15 cases of road accident fatalities every month.

Explaining what the golden hour means for accident victims, Gupta says, the first hour after an accident is called the golden hour.

"This time is very important to save the patient’s brain, spine, and life. If treatment starts quickly, chances of recovery become much better. In India, delays happen because of traffic, late ambulance arrival, lack of nearby trauma centres, and poor first aid awareness," Gupta says.

And while many patients actually survive the accident, they continue to suffer for years.

"Common problems include memory loss, headache, difficulty speaking, poor concentration, sleep problems, seizures, and weakness in the body after accident. Some may even become dependent on their family members even for their daily activities. Some other common issues that are observed after brain injury include depression, anger, anxiety, and even personality disorders," he concludes, while adding that treatment for brain injuries is also a long process and can take months.