‘60% of people killed in road accidents from 18-34 age group: Union minister Nitin Gadkari
Union minister Nitin Gadkari in Lok Sabha said that Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of road accident deaths, while Delhi leads in fatalities among cities.
Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday that 60 per cent of the 1.78 lakh people killed in road accidents in India are from the “18-34 age group”.
He said that many people “do not fear the law,” citing instances of two-wheeler riders not wearing helmets and others jumping red lights.
“It is unfortunate that 60% of the 1.78 lakh road accident victims fall in the 18 to 34 age group. Despite this, there is still no fear of the law. Some don't wear helmets, and others run red signals,” Gadkari said.
“When I attend international conferences discussing road accidents, I try to hide my face,” said Nitin Gadkari on Thursday, emphasising that when he first became the road transport and highways minister, he set a target to reduce accidents by 50%.
He pointed out that Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of road accident deaths, while Delhi leads in fatalities among cities.
During a Lok Sabha discussion on road accidents, Gadkari also shared a personal experience, recalling a major accident involving him and his family a few years ago. He was hospitalised for a long time but expressed gratitude, saying, “By the grace of God, I and my family were saved. So I have my personal experience of accidents.”
UP leads in road accident deaths
In Uttar Pradesh, over 23,000 people, or 13.7% of all road accident deaths, were reported, followed by Tamil Nadu with over 18,000 deaths (10.6%). Maharashtra recorded over 15,000 deaths, accounting for 9% of the total, and Madhya Pradesh reported over 13,000 deaths, or 8%.
In urban areas, Delhi leads the city chart with over 1,400 deaths, followed by Bengaluru with 915 deaths. Jaipur registers 850 deaths due to road accidents.
According to data from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) released in January this year, hit-and-run incidents accounted for 14.6% of total accidents and 18.1% of fatalities in 2022, compared to 16.8% and 11.8% in 2021.
MoRTH data also reveals that speeding was responsible for 72% of all accidents and 71% of fatalities in 2022.
According to the data, two-wheelers were the most common vehicles involved in road accidents and the most frequent victims. The highest number of accidents occurred between two two-wheelers.
(With inputs from PTI)
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