Highways ministry working to reduce road accident fatalities to zero: Nitin Gadkari

New Delhi: The government is working to reduce road fatalities to zero and has also identified 100 districts with high accident rates for urgent intervention, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Monday.

The government aims to halve the number of road accidents and resultant deaths by 2030.

Addressing an event organised by ICICI Lombard, Gadkari said changing public behaviour and enforcing traffic laws remain the country's biggest challenges in improving road safety.


"We are working to reduce road fatalities to zero. Authorities have also identified 100 districts with high accident rates and are targeting black spots for urgent intervention," the minister said.

The number of road accidents in India rose by 5.3 per cent to more than 5.13 lakh in 2025, with road crashes claiming the lives of 21 people every hour, according to government data.

On average, 59 road accidents occurred every hour in the country.

"A total of 5,13,563 road accidents have been reported by police departments of states and Union Territories in the country during the calendar year 2025, claiming 1,83,382 lives," Gadkari said.

The minister also said that police departments in states and Union Territories reported a total of 2,85,770 road accidents across the country during the first six months of 2026.

Gadkari said among vehicle categories involved in road accidents, two-wheelers accounted for the highest share in total fatalities during 2025, followed by light vehicles - cars, taxis, vans and other light motor vehicles - and trucks/lorries.

"If two-wheeler users start wearing helmets, then it would help in reducing fatalities and serious injuries due to road accidents," the minister said.

In terms of road-user categories, the share of two-wheeler riders in total fatalities was the highest at 46.2 per cent, followed by pedestrians at 20.6 per cent, those using cars, taxis, vans and LMVs at 12.4 per cent, he added.

Gadkari said road crashes result in economic losses equivalent to roughly 3 per cent of India's GDP, calling the situation a "basic challenge" for policymakers.

He outlined a strategy focused on road engineering, automobile safety and stricter enforcement for reducing road accidents.

Referring to India's automobile sector, Gadkari pointed out that the quality of vehicles manufactured in India is good and the cost is less, so all top automobile companies are present in the country.

"When I took charge as transport minister, the size of the Indian automobile industry was Rs 14 lakh crore. The size of the Indian automobile industry now is Rs 22 lakh crore," Gadkari said.

Presently, the size of the US automobile industry is Rs 78 lakh crore, followed by China (Rs 47 lakh crore) and India (Rs 22 lakh crore).

According to the minister, the automobile industry has created 4.5 crore jobs till now -- the highest in the country.

"This is the automobile industry, which is giving maximum revenue as a part of GST to the state government and Bharat Sarkar," he added.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is primarily responsible for the development and maintenance of National Highways (NHs).

Also, speaking at the event, ICICI Lombard Chief (retail, business strategy & solutions team) Sandeep Goradia said that through the road safety initiatives, the company is fostering responsible road behaviour, encouraging safer choices, and empowering communities to build a stronger culture of road safety across India.

"As part of our 25-year celebration, we are distributing 25,000 helmets and attempting a 'Guinness World Records Title', reaffirming our commitment to creating safer roads," he said.