Road accidents and fatalities on India’s National Highways declined by over 11% in 2025, marking the first fall in three years. The reduction is because National Highways form only a small share of the country’s road network, yet account for a disproportionately large share of road deaths. Provisional data placed before Parliament shows that safety measures under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways have begun showing measurable results.
Key Accident and Fatality Trends
Recently, National Highways recorded 1,34,307 accidents and 57,482 fatalities. This was lower than 1,50,958 accidents and 64,772 deaths in 2024. In 2023, the highways had recorded 1,50,177 accidents and 63,112 deaths. The decline indicates an improvement in highway safety after two years of high fatality levels.
States Driving the Decline
The fall in fatalities was led mainly by Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Chhattisgarh and Telangana. These five states together reduced highway deaths by 6,072 compared with 2024. Uttar Pradesh recorded the sharpest drop, with fatalities falling from 9,560 to 6,973. Madhya Pradesh also saw a major reduction, with deaths declining from 4,644 to 2,882. These state-level changes contributed substantially to the national decrease.
States Showing Higher Road Risk
Some states recorded an increase in accidents and fatalities on National Highways. Gujarat saw accidents rise from 3,519 to 3,944 and deaths from 2,192 to 2,380. Jharkhand continued its upward trend, while Uttarakhand also reported higher figures. Delhi saw a sharp rise in accidents, from 593 to 1,827, though fatalities changed only marginally. The data remains provisional and is based on entries made by states and Union Territories on the eDAR portal.
Policy Response and Road Safety Framework
The Ministry has adopted a four-pillar strategy to reduce road crashes – education, engineering of roads and vehicles, enforcement, and emergency care. This approach targets both prevention and post-crash response. India continues to have the highest annual road accident fatalities globally, making highway safety a major governance and public health concern.
Last Modified: April 27, 2026