The Annual Report on ‘Road Accidents in India' is published by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. This report is based on the data/information received from police departments of States/UTs on calendar year basis in standardized formats as provided by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) under the Asia Pacific Road Accident Data (APRAD) base project. 2023 Report overview As per the report, A total number of 4,80,583 road accidents have been reported by Police Departments of States and Union Territories (UTs) in the country during the calendar year 2023, claiming 1,72,890 lives and causing injuries to 4,62,825 persons. During 2023, a total of 4,80,583 accidents were recorded in the country, of which, 1,50,177 (31.2%) took place on the National Highways (NH) including Expressways, 1,05,622 (22.0%) on State Highways (SH) and the remaining 2,24,744 (46.8%) on Other Roads. Out of the total of 1,72,890 fatalities reported in 2023, 63,112 (36.5%) were on National Highways, 39,439 (22.8%) were on State Highways and 70,339 (40.7%) were on Other Roads. Out of the total, 1,60,509 fatal accidents reported in 2023, 57,467 (35.8%) were on National Highways, 36,595 (22.8%) on State Highways and 66,447 (41.4%) were reported on Other Roads. Amongst the States, Tamil Nadu recorded the highest number of road accidents on National Highways in 2023, whereas, the number of persons killed in road accident was the highest in Uttar Pradesh. In 2023, under the category of Traffic Rule Violations, over speeding is a major killer, accounting for 1 68.1% of the persons killed followed by driving on the wrong side (5.5%). In respect of neighborhoods categories, it reveals that 45.87% of accidents, 53.64% of death and 46.28% of injuries occurred in open area, i.e., locations which normally do not have any human activities in the vicinity. Under road feature category, 67% of accidents took place on straight roads, whereas accidents on curved roads, pothole roads and steep grade together accounted for only 14.47% of the total road accidents In 2023, a total number of 1,72,890 road accident fatalities were reported by States/UTs which is higher than the reported figure of 1,68,491 in 2022. For the fourth consecutive year in 2023, the fatal road accident victims largely constitute young people in the productive age groups. Young adults in the age group of 18 - 45 years accounted for 66.4% of victims during 2023. People in working age group of 18 – 60 years share 83.4% of total road accident fatalities. Among vehicle categories involved in road accidents, for the third consecutive year, two-wheelers accounted for the highest share in total accidents and fatalities during 2023. Light vehicles comprising of cars, jeeps and taxis together constitute at distant second. In terms of road-user categories, the share of two-wheeler riders in total fatality has been the highest (44.8%) during 2023 followed the Pedestrian road-users with 20.4 % of persons killed in road accidents. Both road accidents and accident-related killings are more of a rural phenomenon than an urban phenomenon. In the year 2023, about 68.5% of road accidents death took place in rural area where as urban area accounted for 31.5% of total accidents death in the country. EElectronic Detailed Accident Report (e-DAR) (erstwhile i-RAD) has been developed for reporting, management, and analysis of road accident data. This is instrumental in evidence-based decision making for immediate identification of accident spots, planning interventions and rectification measures along with impact assessment measures taken etc. Further, provision of electronic DAR generation has also been developed for online settlement of claims of the road accident victims. The "Road Accidents in India-2023" publication serves as a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders in the realm of road safety. It offers in-depth insights into various aspects of road accidents, including their causes, locations, and their impact on different categories of road users. The report also sheds light on emerging trends, challenges, and the Ministry's road safety initiatives. Click here to see the full report.