From black spots to safe systems

This article was first published in egov on September 24, 2025.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) recently released its Road Accidents in India 2023 report. The findings are grim. India recorded 4,80,583 road accidents in 2023, a 4.2% rise from the previous year. These crashes claimed 1,72,890 lives—an average of 474 deaths every single day, or one life lost every three minutes—and left 4,62,825 people injured

Even more perturbing is who these deaths affect most. Vulnerable Road Users (pedestrians, cyclists, and two-wheeler riders) accounted for nearly 68% of all fatalities. In 2023 alone, 35,221 pedestrians died, an increase of nearly 2,400 compared to 2022. Far from being random tragedies, these numbers reflect systemic failures in road design and transport planning.

The MoRTH data highlights that India’s road infrastructure is not built to save lives. Consider this:

• National and State Highways make up just 5% of India’s road length, yet they account for over 59% of fatalities. High-speed corridors are not uniformly designed for speed management, lane discipline, or safe crossings for local users. In many cities, local traffic spills directly onto highways, a reality that must be factored into how speed limits are set.

•  67% of accidents occurred on straight stretches. This points to a lack of traffic calming features like rumble strips and safe median openings that discourage speeding.

• In 2023, potholes directly caused 5,840 crashes, resulting in 2,161 deaths and 5,309 injuries. The fatalities rose by 16% from 2022. In India’s million-plus cities alone, potholes killed 311 people , pointing to a deeper failure of maintenance and accountability.

• Poorly designed intersections remain black spots. In 2023, 15.9%  of junction crashes occurred at uncontrolled crossings, underlining the lack of safe traffic management at merging points.

• 40.7% of fatalities in 2023 occurred on “other roads”—urban district and rural roads that form 95% of the road network. These are used by people every day to reach schools, community places, markets and work.

These data points demonstrate that most crashes and fatalities can be prevented by protective design and maintenance. Instead of a reactive safety approach that focuses on identifying and fixing “black spots” after crashes occur, what we need more urgently is a proactive system that includes safety in every stage of road building – be it planning, design, construction, or enforcement.

Transport choices shape safety
One other feature of the MoRTH report 2023 stands out. Two-wheelers were involved in 44.8% of all fatalities in 2023. Cars, taxis, vans, and other light motor vehicles were involved in 9,487 accidents in million-plus cities, accounting for 11.7% of all urban crashes and leading to 1,593 deaths (9.2% of urban road fatalities). On the other hand, buses accounted for only 2.1% of crashes (1,735 accidents) and 2.3% of fatalities (399 deaths) in these cities. This suggests that reliable public transport systems could be instrumental in not only easing congestion but also protecting lives, making them vital in reducing crash fatalities in India.

A prescription for safe roads

If India is to achieve its goal of halving road deaths by 2030, our cities must embrace the internationally used Safe Systems approach – this system takes human error into account and ensures that mistakes do not end up in fatalities.

Our immediate priority is to design for speed management through scientific limits, taking human tolerance as a key factor. If needed, narrower carriageways should be built alongside highways, with apt traffic calming systems.

Including safe infrastructure for Vulnerable Users such as sidewalks, protected cycle lanes, safe crossings, and pedestrian zones in core design elements is another vital factor in reducing crash rates and fatalities.

Pothole related deaths are a grievous reflection of our attitudes to road safety. We must enforce strict penalties on the relevant department and implement a system that consistently maintains and performs quality repairs quickly.  

Finally, we must give our citizens a safe and reliable public transport system that allows them to travel safely without stress while reducing congestion and lowering emissions as well.

A National Road Safety Mission

What India is missing is a central mission that brings together various stakeholders across infrastructure, enforcement, trauma care, and education.

Much like the National Health Mission transformed healthcare delivery, a National Road Safety Mission could set measurable targets and build accountability into every level of government.

Every life that is lost in this avoidable manner brings a lifetime of despair to many others. India must act decisively now, before the crisis deepens further.