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4 deaths a day: BMW crash that killed govt officer spotlights Delhi's dangerous roads
Report released by ministry of road transport and highways this year identified Delhi as the most dangerous among India’s million-plus cities
When Navjot Singh, a government official on his way back from a gurdwara on his motorbike with his wife, was killed after a BMW sedan crashed into them on Sunday, his death was one of an average of four such tragedies that occur on Delhi's roads every day. And two-wheelers remain particularly vulnerable, shows official data.
Between January and May this year, the Delhi police have recorded 2,235 road accidents, which caused 577 deaths. While this is a decline from 652 deaths in the same period last year, the data still translates to a staggering average of nearly four deaths every day.
Involving two-wheelers, last year 2,300+ accidents were recorded. Of these 588 incidents caused 611 deaths. This meant fatal accidents accounted for over 25% of the total, highlighting the grave risks faced by bikers and scooter riders who dominate Delhi’s traffic.
As for road accident deaths for every 1 lakh people, Tamil Nadu has the highest rate of deaths at 23. Delhi was way behind at seven deaths per lakh of population.
However, the 'Road Accidents in India 2023' report released by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways earlier this year identified Delhi as the most dangerous among India’s million-plus cities.
The capital logged 5,834 road accidents that year, the highest among cities, leading to 1,457 deaths. Two-wheeler riders were highly vulnerable, accounting for more than a third of the deaths, news agency PTI reported.
Speeding was the leading cause, responsible for more than 60% of fatalities, followed by drunk driving and wrong-side driving.
Separately, the Delhi Police Road Crash Fatalities Report 2023 said pedestrians accounted for 43% of the victims, while two-wheeler riders made up 38%.
Besides deaths, the number of the injured has risen.
Between January and May 2025, injuries climbed to 2,187 compared to 2,106 in the same period last year.
