Bengaluru sees a rise in pedestrian deaths: What’s behind the alarming surge?

Bengaluru topped pedestrian deaths in 2023 with 292 fatalities, highlighting road safety issues.

Bengaluru recorded 292 pedestrian deaths in 2023, accounting for 9.48 per cent of fatalities across 53 major Indian cities, according to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

This makes Bengaluru the city with the highest number of pedestrian deaths in 2023.

This makes Bengaluru the city with the highest number of pedestrian deaths that year, highlighting growing road safety concerns, The Hindu reported.

Traffic police attribute the rise to a combination of factors, including a rapidly growing population, poor lane discipline, infrastructure shortcomings, and an increasing number of accident black spots. Following Bengaluru, Ahmedabad (236) and Jaipur (201) ranked second and third among the cities in pedestrian fatalities.

At the state level, Karnataka recorded 2,386 pedestrian deaths, placing it third among all states and union territories, trailing only Bihar (3,462) and Tamil Nadu (4,577), the report further added.

According to the publication, a senior Bengaluru traffic officer pointed out that footpaths in many areas are either encroached upon or littered with garbage, forcing pedestrians to walk on busy roads.

He also noted incidents where pedestrians were critically injured by motorcyclists performing illegal stunts, later succumbing to their injuries. While a 2024 traffic police initiative successfully identified accident black spots, the drive was not expanded citywide, limiting its potential to save lives.

Commercial hubs like Chikpete, Kamakshipalya, and J.C. Road remain especially unsafe due to the absence of proper pedestrian crossings. Officials suggest that Bengaluru could adopt a model similar to post-mortem studies conducted by doctors in other cities, where accident causes inform infrastructure improvements.

They also emphasize the need for collaboration between civic bodies, traffic police, doctors, and citizen groups, alongside policy reforms, to address gaps in pedestrian safety.