Two government buses, one travelling from Tirpur to Karaikudi and the other travelling from Karaikudi to Dindigul, collided head-on on the Thirupattur-Karaikudi main road on the last day of November. 12 people were killed on the spot, and more than 40 people were injured, including children and the elderly.
Fatal Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) are not a rare occurrence in India, and Tamil Nadu tops the accident frequency. In 2023, the state recorded 67,213 accidents (14 per cent of the national total), averaging approximately 184 accidents per day.
According to the 2023 Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) report, 55 accidents and 20 deaths are reported every hour in India. In 2023 alone, India recorded 4,88,583 accidents, resulting in 1,72,890 fatalities. These figures may vary from official reports due to under-reporting.
The Sample Registration System estimated approximately 2,71,300 road accident deaths in 2022, while 2022 MoRTH’s reported number stands at 1,68,491. The Sample Registration System’s (SRS) Cause of Death reports, managed by the Office of the Registrar General of India, provide independent estimates of road accident fatalities through household-level verbal autopsy surveys. This discrepancy highlights the underreporting issue.
When the Air India 171 aircraft crashed last June, it made front-page news, sparked widespread debate, and the entire nation mourned, with photos and victim details going viral. DGCA responded quickly, raising questions about air safety and regulations. In contrast, 461 deaths occur daily due to road traffic accidents, which have gone unnoticed (MoRTH, 2023). This number is twice the total victims from the only air crash in 2025.
Such recurring fatalities have become so normalised that neither the public nor the government shows heightened concern for road accidents. Perhaps newspapers could dedicate a separate column to report daily accidents and fatalities, similar to how death tolls were reported during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the virus has lost its virulence over time, there is little hope that this RTA crisis will be contained soon, as no proactive measures have been taken so far.
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Causes and challenges
Non-compliance: Laxity and disregard among riders are major causes of RTAs. According to the MoRTH 2023 report, over-speeding alone accounts for 68.4 per cent of accidents and 68.1 per cent of deaths. Riders often ignore speed limits indicated on signboards, displaying a general insensitivity to safety rules. Additionally, 54,568 lives were lost because riders were not wearing helmets, 16,025 because they were not wearing seat belts, and 33,827 accidents involved unlicensed drivers.
Skill deficit: Indian drivers are not skilled enough. It is evident from the poor passing percentage after the introduction of automated driving tests in Delhi. Roughly around 50 per cent of people who take the automated driving test fail. In the automated driving licence test, applicants are tested on 24 parameters with the help of sensors and cameras installed on the tracks. There is no human intervention. Before the advent of this automated test, the story was different. In a manual test, with human supervision, there was an 80 per cent pass rate. This sudden fall in the pass ratio denotes the poor test quality. It allowed unskilled individuals to obtain a driving license without much hustle.
Poor infrastructure: It is reported that infrastructure deficits are key accident drivers; surprisingly, straight roads account for 67 per cent of accidents. The reason behind this might be that the straight road prompts the driver to over-accelerate. Deadly road features such as potholes, sharp curves, and ongoing construction sites also contribute significantly to the accidents. Additionally, poorly managed junctions and “black spots” on highways continue to be a potential threat.
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What can be done?
Infrastructure reform: Head-on collisions are a primary cause of accidents on single-lane highways. It requires immediate intervention. Converting high-risk single-lane highways into multi-lane roads with physical medians is imperative. In areas where widening is impossible, installing crash barriers is non-negotiable to prevent wrong-side driving and head-on collisions. The roads must be devoid of potholes and stray animal interactions.
Enhanced enforcement: A crucial change is warranted in how we approach punishments for traffic violations. Currently, enforcement of traffic rules is primarily focused on the “quantum of punishments”—increasing the severity of penalties, such as increasing the prison sentence or imposing higher fines. However, research suggests that the “certainty of punishment,” that is, the high likelihood of actually being caught and penalised, is a far more effective deterrent. We need a vigilant system where every violation is detected and acted upon swiftly, rather than one where severe penalties exist but are rarely applied.
Stricter licensing protocols: The renewal of Heavy Motor Vehicle (HMV) licenses must evolve beyond a simple periodical renewal formality. Practical driving tests must be made compulsory for renewals to assess reflexes and skill retention. Additionally, to keep unfit drivers off the road, the system must oppose outsourcing practical tests to private centres without rigorous oversight. Testing must remain under strict state surveillance to ensure only qualified drivers are on the road. Implementing automated driving tests across the country could help.
Comprehensive medical screening: Addressing the human element requires more than just skill testing. License renewals, specifically for the heavy vehicle and passenger vehicle drivers, must require stringent medical and psychological screening, including eyesight tests, colour blindness tests, checks for substance abuse, and evaluations for chronic fatigue. These measures are vital to rule out health issues that cause “blackouts” or blind-spot errors behind the wheel.
Defensive driving: Fear-based advertising is commonly used in road safety campaigns and during license tests. Countries like Australia and the US use this method to scare drivers into safer behaviour (speeding, drunk driving) by showing graphic crashes or serious threats. Employing these methods in Indian driving license tests can promote defensive driving behaviour. The safety campaign hoardings should be installed in high-risk zones to grab attention and prompt action.
Real-time data usage: Finally, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) needs to address lags in accident data. Relying on statistics from 2023 in 2025 cripples the ability to respond to emerging danger zones. Daily reporting of the total number of deaths in the media, caused by road traffic accidents, would be a good countermeasure.
Be it road or air, a life lost is a tragedy beyond the statistics. The innumerable people who are losing their lives are not mere data points in a ministry report. The onus of ensuring safe mobility lies on the state. Acting on this silent pandemic to reduce the loss of innocent lives is not just a policy option but also a moral obligation.
Karti P Chidambaram is a Member of Parliament for Sivaganga, and a Member of the All India Congress Committee. His X handle is @KartiPC. Views are personal.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)