Road accident statistics in India show 5,13,563 accidents and 1,83,382 deaths in 2025, according to figures the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) gave to Parliament. That is about 21 deaths every hour, and accidents rose 5.3% over the previous year. MoRTH’s detailed 2024 report names over-speeding as the leading cause, and technology such as ADAS can help reduce the toll.
India’s road safety record is among the worst in the world. The WHO’s Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023 found that India’s road deaths rose 15% between 2010 and 2021, from 1.34 lakh to 1.54 lakh, while global road deaths fell 5%. This guide covers the latest road accident statistics in India, the seven main causes, the urban and rural split, and how ADAS and driver monitoring can prevent crashes.
Road accident statistics in India: 2025 and 2024 data
| Metric | 2025 (Lok Sabha reply) | 2024 (MoRTH report) |
|---|---|---|
| Road accidents | 5,13,563 | 4,87,707 |
| Deaths | 1,83,382 | 1,77,175 |
| Injured | Not yet reported | 4,71,441 |
| Accidents per hour | 59 | 56 |
| Deaths per hour | 21 | 20 |
| Deaths per 100 accidents | 35.7 | 36.3 |
| Change vs previous year | Accidents +5.3%, deaths about +3.5% | Accidents +1.5%, deaths +2.5% |
| Most accidents (state) | Tamil Nadu, 71,387 | Tamil Nadu, 67,526 |
| Most deaths (state) | Uttar Pradesh, 27,550 | Uttar Pradesh, 24,118 |
Deaths per 100 accidents is calculated from the totals. The 2025 numbers are provisional, police-reported figures and may be revised. The 2025 detailed report is not yet published, so the findings below come from MoRTH’s 2024 report.
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Key findings from MoRTH’s 2024 report
- Crashes are getting deadlier. Deaths have risen faster than accidents in both years above.
- Two-wheeler riders and pedestrians carry the burden. Two-wheeler riders account for 46.2% of deaths, pedestrians for 20.6%, and occupants of cars, taxis, vans and light vehicles for 12.4%. Two-wheeler riders and pedestrians together make up about two-thirds of all deaths.
- Young adults are most affected. People aged 18 to 45 account for 66.1% of fatalities.
- Highways are deadlier than their share of crashes. National Highways recorded 64,772 deaths, 36.6% of the total.
- Rural India is hit hardest. Rural areas account for 70.8% of fatalities.
- Speed and safety gear matter most. Over-speeding caused 70.3% of road deaths, and not wearing helmets and seatbelts led to over 54,000 and 14,000 deaths respectively.
A note on data sources: MoRTH compiles these figures from police reports. NCRB publishes its own count, and the two sets of 2024 figures differ. Police-based statistics also undercount road deaths, so independent estimates run higher. The road accident statistics in India on this page are MoRTH’s.
7 Causes of Road Accidents in India
- Over-speeding. It is the single largest factor, behind about 70% of road deaths. Speed limits are widely ignored, and higher speed turns a crash into a fatal one.
- No helmets or seatbelts. Over 54,000 deaths involved riders without helmets, and over 14,000 involved occupants without seatbelts.
- Poor roads and unsafe pedestrian spaces. Potholes, missing signage, weak street lighting and a lack of footpaths, crossings and overbridges push pedestrians into traffic.
- Weak driver training and licensing. Many drivers learn informally, and licence tests rarely reflect real traffic.
- Drunk and distracted driving. Alcohol slows reactions, and phone use takes eyes off the road. Read our guide to distracted driving mistakes and how to avoid them.
- Weak enforcement. Strict laws lose their deterrent effect when checks and penalties are inconsistent.
- Poor vehicle maintenance and overloading. Worn tyres, failing brakes and overloaded commercial vehicles raise the chance of losing control.
Urban vs Rural Road Risks
Urban India: congestion, frequent signal jumping and a lack of pedestrian infrastructure.
Rural India: unlit and poorly maintained roads, high-speed highways and slow emergency response, which helps explain the 70.8% share of deaths. Each setting needs its own interventions.
How ADAS Can Reduce Road Accidents in India
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) use sensors and software to warn drivers or act before a crash. See our explainer on what ADAS technology is. The functions that matter most on Indian roads:
- Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB): brakes automatically when a collision is likely.
- Forward Collision Warning: alerts the driver to a closing gap. Learn more about forward collision warning systems.
- Lane Departure Warning (LDW): warns when the vehicle drifts out of its lane.
- Blind Spot Detection: flags vehicles in the blind spot. See blind spot warning systems.
- Driver monitoring: detects drowsiness and distraction. Read about driver monitoring systems and how ADAS features help prevent drowsy driving.
Cost, low awareness, uneven infrastructure and regulatory compliance still slow adoption in India. Demand for vehicle safety features is rising, and fleets are adopting these systems first.
Policy, enforcement and awareness
Technology works best alongside policy. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 raised penalties for traffic offences. The Centre has also pushed a multi-pronged road safety plan built on a 4E strategy, covering education, engineering, enforcement and emergency care. Penalties only deter when enforcement is consistent, and education must reach new drivers, riders and pedestrians.
How Novus Hi-Tech supports safer roads
Novus Hi-Tech builds ADAS and fleet safety systems for Indian conditions:
- Novus Safe Pro and Novus Safe Lite: collision avoidance and driver monitoring for aftermarket retrofit.
- Novus Aware: in-cabin monitoring for OEMs, covering drowsiness, distraction, gaze, seat belt and more.
- Novus Pilot: external perception for OEMs, covering forward collision warning, lane departure warning, pedestrian collision warning, lane change assist and traffic sign recognition. See our page on ADAS for OEMs.
The company’s fleet safety systems are deployed across 120,000+ vehicles and 200,000+ drivers, with 7B+ km of driving data analysed. Learn how we help vehicles meet AIS-184 compliance.
The road ahead
Road accident statistics in India will improve only when four things move together:
- Infrastructure: better road design, lighting and pedestrian facilities.
- Enforcement: consistent checks on speed, helmets, seatbelts and drink driving.
- Technology: wider adoption of ADAS and driver monitoring.
- Education: driver training and awareness that change everyday behaviour.
Government, industry and communities all have a role. Talk to a Novus fleet safety expert about reducing accidents in your fleet.
