TN records highest road accidents for 4th straight year
Chennai, Aug 10
Tamil Nadu remained at the top of the national road accident chart in 2025, reporting more than 71,000 crashes. However, the state recorded a considerably lower proportion of fatalities compared with several other major vehicle-owning states, according to figures presented in Parliament.
Data provided in the Lok Sabha showed that 71,387 road accidents occurred across Tamil Nadu in 2025, claiming 18,505 lives. The figures were disclosed by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in response to a question from Kerala MP Benny Behanan.
The state recorded about 26 deaths for every 100 accidents. The latest numbers also point to a continuing rise in accidents across Tamil Nadu. From 64,105 crashes in 2022, the total increased by more than 7,000 over three years to reach 71,387 in 2025, reinforcing concerns over road safety despite various enforcement and prevention measures.
Deaths from road accidents have followed a similar upward trajectory, although the increase has been more gradual.
Tamil Nadu recorded 17,884 fatalities in 2022, followed by 18,347 in 2023 and 18,449 in 2024. The toll rose further to 18,505 in 2025.
Tamil Nadu's large and rapidly expanding vehicle population is considered an important factor behind the high number of accidents. As of April 1, 2025, the state had 3.76 crore registered vehicles, the third-highest in the country after Uttar Pradesh, with 5.05 crore vehicles, and Maharashtra, with 3.95 crore.
Despite having fewer accidents than Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra recorded substantially higher fatality-to-accident ratios of 55.47 per cent and 49 per cent, respectively.
The Centre has introduced a series of measures aimed at reducing road accidents and fatalities. These include mandatory speed-limiting devices for transport vehicles, with exemptions for categories such as two-wheelers, three-wheelers, quadricycles, fire tenders, ambulances and police vehicles.
Road safety specialists say Tamil Nadu's comparatively lower fatality ratio could partly be attributed to faster emergency response and better access to medical facilities. However, speeding continues to be a major challenge, particularly on highways.
Experts have called for stricter speed controls, pointing out that modern vehicles are capable of travelling considerably faster than highway design speeds.
The road safety experts have also stressed the need to tackle driver fatigue alongside speeding and drunken driving. Measures such as random technology-assisted fatigue screening, stronger speed enforcement and tighter monitoring of highway traffic could help bring down Tamil Nadu's persistently high accident numbers and prevent crashes from causing further loss of life.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The problem isn't just the highways, it's the sheer number of vehicles on the road. Chennai traffic has become unbearable with the metro work and all the new apartments coming up. We have 3.76 crore vehicles! How can the infrastructure keep up? I think we need better public transport instead of just building more flyovers.
Respectfully, the government keeps saying they're introducing measures, but we don't see enforcement on the ground. Speed limit devices for transport vehicles? Good idea on paper, but how many trucks on the highway actually have them working? The police need to do random checks. Also, drunk driving during festivals is still rampant. Actions speak louder than statistics.
Why is nobody talking about the road quality in rural areas? My hometown near Madurai has potholes everywhere. Two-wheelers are the worst affected. We have good hospitals, but if you crash in a remote village, you're still struggling to get to one. Fix the local roads first, not just the highways!
Driver fatigue is such an underrated issue. Long-distance truck drivers are underpaid and forced to drive for hours without rest. The fatigue screening the experts mention is crucial. Also, our highways need more well-lit rest stops with affordable food and clean facilities. A tired driver is a dangerous driver.
Good to see the numbers finally being discussed in Parliament. But the comparison with UP and Maharashtra is misleading. They have more fatalities per accident because of poorer road infrastructure and emergency services. We should be proud of our lower death rate, but 18,505 lives lost is still
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.