Road accident kills more than war or disease: Nitin Gadkari
New Delhi, August 11
Union Road Transport & Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari issued a stark warning on India's road safety crisis, stating that no war or disease claims as many lives as India's roads do each year.
He was speaking at a road safety event in the national capital on Monday, organised by ICICI Lombard General Insurance as part of the company's flagship CSR initiative.
Laying out the scale of the crisis, Gadkari said India records nearly 5 lakh road accidents annually, resulting in 1.8 lakh deaths. Of these, 66 per cent of the deceased are young people, he said, calling it a loss the country cannot afford.
The Minister revealed that 54,132 people lost their lives last year simply because they were not wearing helmets, while two-wheeler riders account for 45 per cent of all road fatalities. "Every hour, 20 people die on our roads. Such a scale of death is not seen even in disease or war," Gadkari said.
Gadkari identified poorly designed accident-prone stretches, or "black spots," as a major contributor to fatalities. To eliminate these, he said, the government is spending Rs 40,000 crore. He added that the Ministry has identified 100 districts across the country where accidents are most concentrated, and that targeted interventions are underway in these areas.
He also noted a paradox in India's road development story. The country has now overtaken Japan to become the world's third-largest road network, behind only the US and China. Yet, he said, India also holds the unfortunate distinction of recording the highest number of road accidents globally, a sharp contrast to Sweden, which he cited as having achieved zero road fatalities through disciplined systems and enforcement.
Gadkari was candid in identifying the root cause of India's road safety failures.
"Human behaviour remains our biggest weakness," he said, stressing that infrastructure and enforcement alone cannot solve the problem without a change in how people conduct themselves on the road.
To address this at the source, he said the Ministry has begun focusing road safety education on students in Classes 10 and 12, to instil safer habits early. He further pointed out the economic cost of the crisis, noting that road accidents shave off nearly 3 per cent of India's GDP every year.
Gadkari used the occasion to commend ICICI Lombard, which was marking 25 years of operations in India with a helmet distribution drive across 14 locations, attempting a Guinness World Records Title for the most helmets distributed in 12 hours across multiple venues. The company distributed over 25,000 ISI-certified helmets as part of the effort.
"I congratulate ICICI Lombard on their 25th anniversary. The road safety initiatives of the company are commendable, having distributed over 7 lakh helmets and impacted over 2.5 million lives since 2015," Gadkari said.
He added, "Road safety is a shared national responsibility that requires the collective efforts of government, institutions, industry and every road user. While we continue to strengthen road infrastructure, vehicle safety standards and enforcement, creating awareness and encouraging responsible road behaviour remain equally important. Sustained community engagement, particularly among young people and families, can play a significant role in reducing road accidents and saving lives."
Speaking on the occasion, Sandeep Goradia, Chief, Retail, Business Strategy & Solutions Team, ICICI Lombard, said, "At ICICI Lombard, we believe that protecting lives extends beyond insurance. Every day, hundreds of precious lives are lost on Indian roads, making road safety not only a policy priority but also a shared national responsibility."
Goradia added, "Through our Road Safety initiatives, we are fostering responsible road behaviour, encouraging safer choices, and empowering communities to build a stronger culture of road safety across India. As part of our 25-year celebration, we are distributing 25,000 helmets and attempting a 'Guinness World Records Title', reaffirming our commitment to creating safer roads."
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone who recently moved to India from the UK, the difference in road discipline is shocking. In London, people actually stop at zebra crossings. Here, pedestrians are lucky to survive! The 1.8 lakh deaths figure is staggering - this deserves way more attention than it gets.
The 'black spots' identification is a good start, but what about the enforcement? I live in Bengaluru and see traffic police literally standing while people ride triple-seat on two-wheelers without helmets. We need stricter fines and actual implementation, not just announcements. Also, education in schools is great - my 12th grade son now reminds me to wear my seatbelt!
Respect to Gadkari ji for addressing this. But 40,000 crore on black spots is too little, too late. We've known about these dangerous stretches for decades. Also, what about the condition of our highways? The potholes and sudden lane merges on expressways are death traps. Infrastructure should be built with safety, not just speed, in mind.
Comparing India to Sweden's zero-fatality model is fair, but Sweden spent decades on this. Here in Mumbai, I see people driving without seatbelts on the highway, using phones while driving. It's a cultural issue as much as an infrastructure one. Kudos to ICICI Lombard for the helmet initiative though - corporate responsibility like this matters!
The 3% GDP loss is something people don't understand. More deaths than war or disease - it sounds dramatic but it's true! I wish more attention was given to public transport too. If buses and metros
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