Bengaluru sees 3,500 fatal accidents in four years, conviction rate at 7%: Report

Bengaluru faced a crisis in road safety, with over 3,500 fatalities in four years and a mere 7 per cent conviction rate in traffic accidents since 2021.

The alarming trend of low convictions in road accidents in Bengaluru highlighted the challenges of securing justice for victims amidst missing witnesses and a reliance on out-of-court settlements.(Representative)

Despite thousands of serious road accidents in Bengaluru over the past four and a half years, justice remains elusive for most victims. Police data paints a grim picture: over 3,500 fatal accidents and more than 15,000 non-fatal crashes were reported between 2021 and mid-2025, yet the conviction rate hovers at a mere 7 per cent.

On average, Karnataka sees 25 people killed and over 80 injured in road mishaps every single day, said a report by the Bangalore Mirror. But securing convictions in these cases has proved extremely difficult.

This has been attributed to a mix of missing eyewitnesses, weak evidence, and a disturbing trend of out-of-court settlements. Officials estimated that up to 70 per cent of fatal cases are resolved privately between the accused and the victim’s family, bypassing legal consequences, said the report.

The situation is particularly stark in 2025: only 4 convictions in fatal cases have been recorded till June. In non-fatal cases, convictions dropped sharply from over 2,300 in 2022 to just under 300 this year, the report stated.

To rectify this, authorities are increasingly relying on technology, particularly CCTV footage, to build stronger cases. The lack of reliable witnesses has always been a challenge, according to a senior police official, who said they are starting to turn the tide with digital evidence.

Legal experts agreed, but cautioned that conviction still requires airtight investigation and adherence to due process. Even a single weak link in the chain of evidence can collapse the case, said an advocate quoted in the publication.

Experts also warned that accident causes are diverse, from reckless driving to mechanical failure or even malicious intent, and each case demands thorough scrutiny.

To tackle this, Bengaluru has been expanding its CCTV network, hoping that more eyes on the roads will finally lead to more accountability.