Pedestrians account for more than 60% of accidental deaths on NH-48 this year

Most of the accidents during the survey period occurred because vehicles did not follow the speed limit or lane discipline and because the NHAI did not take enough remedial measures, traffic police officers said

Mumbai: More than 60% of the people who died in accidents on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway (NH-48), between Dahisar and Ashad in Palghar, from January till July this year were pedestrians, a survey conducted by the Mira-Bhayander-Vasai-Virar (MBVV) traffic police has found.

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The 38-kilometre stretch of the highway, which falls under the jurisdiction of the MBVV police, saw 47 deaths linked to road accidents from January-July this year. Among the deceased, 24 were pedestrians, and most of them were killed between 4pm and 10pm while crossing the highway, said Mahesh Shyete, senior police inspector (traffic), Virar.

Accident triggers survey

Sources in MBVV police said the survey was initiated after 13 people died and 17 others were injured in a head-on collision in May between a container truck and a tempo plying on the wrong side of NH-48 near Dhaniware in Palghar.

The survey found that the 38-kilometre stretch of NH-48 under the MBVV police saw 135 accidents in 2025, which resulted in the death of 103 people. From January till July this year, 47 people died in road crashes on the same stretch, which had at least 12 black spots. Among the 47 fatalities, 23 people died on Mira Road to Tungareshwar Phata stretch that falls under the Vasai traffic division; of these 23, 11 were pedestrians and six were two-wheeler riders or pillion riders. The NH-48 stretch between Vasai and Ashad in Palghar, which falls under the Virar traffic division, recorded 24 deaths; 13 among them were pedestrians while six were two-wheeler riders or pillion riders.

Most of the accidents during the survey period occurred because vehicles did not follow the speed limit or lane discipline and because the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which maintains the highway, did not take enough remedial measures, traffic police officers said.

“We have asked the NHAI several times to build more user-friendly foot over bridges and clear encroachments on service roads so that drivers do not travel on the wrong side. We have also urged them to install thermoplastic rumblers, blinkers, signboards and median dividers that are at least four feet tall so that pedestrians cannot cross over. Yet, the NHAI has not taken the necessary measures,” said the officer quoted earlier.

Another traffic police officer, who also requested not to be identified, said that when the NHAI concretised the highway, the height of the road increased by 6 inches. “This decreased the height of guardrails along the flyovers, and in some cases, caused speeding vehicles to fall off the bridge,” the officer said. “Besides, the height of rumblers must be increased from 3mm to 15mm, while their width must be increased from 2 metres to 4 metres.”

Remedial measures

In the first week of August, the MBVV traffic police submitted the survey report to the NHAI, comprising statistics on accidents, underlying causes, and remedial measures. “We also submitted a list of 142 encroachment spots between Virar and Palghar for necessary action,” the officer said.

Given the high proportion of pedestrians among the deceased, Shyete has been visiting local schools and colleges to teach students about pedestrian discipline, while senior traffic police inspector (Vasai) Prashant Langi has been making announcements on the highway, warning pedestrians against trespassing.

“High definition cameras should be installed every 500 meters on NH-48 so that speeding drivers can be penalised and to ensure heavy vehicles follow lane discipline,” said Langi.

Suhas Chitnis, Project Director, NHAI said they had received the report from the MBVV traffic police and efforts were underway to address the underlying issues.

“A new agency has been appointed to implement safety measures in accident-prone areas along the highway. Through this agency, rumbler strips, directional signage, and reflectors will be installed. Additionally, work to increase the height of the median dividers will commence shortly,” Chitnis said.