Tamil Nadu accounts for the highest number of road accidents in the country that take place on national highways and expressways with Uttar Pradesh in the second spot followed by Andhra Pradesh in the third position. Kerala and  Maharashtra figure at the 4th and 5th spot respectively.

The latest figures that have been compiled from the police records of various states for 2021 were tabled in the Lok Sabha by Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari today. The details of the number of accidents and the total number of deaths that occurred due to these mishaps are as follows:

State                         No of accidents           No of deaths

*Tamil Nadu                16,869                           5,263

*Uttar Pradesh             14,540                           8,506

*Andhra Pradesh         8,241                              3,602

*Kerala                           8,048                                 975

*Maharashtra               7,501                            4,080

Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra are much bigger states  than the three southern states that figure among the five states with the highest number of road accidents.

Interestingly, the number of deaths in Kerala is much lower than the other states on the list despite the high number of accidents in the smaller state. This is probably due to the fact that medical facilities in the state are more easily available for trauma cases.

According to the minister’s statement, as per yearly analysis of road accident data, based on the FIR data compiled by the police of various states and UTs , road accidents occur due to multiple causes such as over speeding, use of mobile phone, drunken driving/consumption of alcohol and drugs, driving on wrong side/ lane indiscipline, jumping red light, non-use of safety devices such as helmets and seat belts, vehicular condition, weather condition, road condition, fault of driver / cyclist/ pedestrian etc.