70% of accident victims in 2024 were pedestrians, two-wheeler riders: data

Speeding was the main cause of accidents while 67% of two-wheeler deaths were due to helmetless riding, said traffic police officers

Mumbai: Two-wheeler riders and pedestrians accounted for 70% of the fatalities on state and national highways in Maharashtra in 2024, show data compiled by the state’s highway traffic police. The number of accidents on state and national highways rose from 35,243 in 2023 to 36,084 in 2024, while the number of deaths dipped by 0.2% from 15,366 in 2023 to 15,335 last year. Speeding was the main cause of accidents while 67% of two-wheeler deaths were due to helmetless riding, said traffic police officers.

70% of accident victims in 2024 were pedestrians, two-wheeler riders: data

The data, gathered from eleven commissionerates and superintendent of police offices across the state, show that on average, there were 3,000 accidents across the state per month, which left 1,200 dead and 2,500 injured. The maximum number of accidents occurred in Mumbai followed by Pune rural, Nashik rural, Ahmednagar and Solapur; in terms of number of deaths, Pune rural topped the list followed by Nashik rural, Ahmednagar, Solapur rural and Jalgaon. Nearly 86% of accidents occurred on straight roads while 29% were rear-end collisions and over 30% of the deceased were aged 25-35 years.

“The data indicates that speeding was the main cause of accidents. We also found that 67% of the two-wheeler deaths were due to helmetless riding and caused mostly by heavy vehicles,” said an officer. Traffic violations like drunk driving and no seatbelts accounted for another chunk of the fatalities, he said.

The highway traffic police has shared a fresh list of black spots for 2021-2023 with the transport department and other authorities, said sources. It has also distributed over 20,000 helmets during the road safety month in January and will intensify enforcement of traffic rules across the state as a precautionary measure, they added.