Nitin Gadkari flags 5 lakh road accidents a year, says behaviour change key to saving lives

India records nearly 5 lakh accidents and another 1.80 lakh fatalities annually due to road accidents, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday, stressing that changing public behaviour and enforcing traffic laws remain the country’s biggest challenges in improving road safety.

Speaking at the 3rd National Conclave on Road Safety in New Delhi, Gadkari said overspeeding alone accounts for about 120,000 deaths each year, while failure to wear helmets causes over 54,000 fatalities and not using seat belts leads to more than 14,000 deaths. Among children below 18, road accidents claim over 10,000 lives annually, he added, noting that drunk driving, wrong-side driving and mobile phone use are also major causes.

He said road crashes result in economic losses equivalent to roughly 3% of India’s GDP, calling the situation a “basic challenge” for policymakers.


Gadkari outlined a strategy focused on road engineering, automobile safety and stricter enforcement. The government has shifted to performance-based project monitoring and will conduct performance audits of road infrastructure alongside financial audits. On vehicle safety, he noted that six airbags are now mandatory and that India’s automobile standards are being aligned with global norms, alongside new technologies for heavy vehicles that can automatically brake in emergencies.

However, he stressed that enforcement and public attitude remain the weakest links. “There is no fear or respect for law. Even educated people don’t want to obey rules,” he said, adding that awareness campaigns are being rolled out in schools and colleges with support from media and civil society.

The government has partnered with companies such as Uber and Zomato for mass campaigns promoting responsible driving, and is planning a nationwide communication initiative with the information technology ministry. Authorities have also identified 100 districts with high accident rates and are targeting "black spots" for urgent intervention. In Nagpur, his parliamentary constituency, such measures have already cut accidents by about 50%, the Minster added.

Citing a report by AIIMS doctors, Gadkari said timely assistance to accident victims could reduce deaths by half. Under a government relief scheme, accident victims on any road can receive cashless treatment up to seven days or Rs 1.5 lakh.

He added that authorities are considering a graded driving licence system under which penalty points would accumulate for violations and lead to suspension once a threshold is crossed.

Emphasising that infrastructure and technology alone cannot solve the crisis, Gadkari said, “We have to save lives — that is the real priority.”