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Union Road Transport & Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari issued a stark warning on India's road safety crisis, stating that no war or disease claims as many lives as India's roads do each year.
He was speaking at a road safety event in the national capital on Monday, organised by ICICI Lombard General Insurance as part of the company's flagship CSR initiative. Laying out the scale of the crisis, Gadkari said India records nearly 5 lakh road accidents annually, resulting in 1.8 lakh deaths. Of these, 66 per cent of the deceased are young people, he said, calling it a loss the country cannot afford. The Minister revealed that 54,132 people lost their lives last year simply because they were not wearing helmets, while two-wheeler riders account for 45 per cent of all road fatalities. "Every hour, 20 people die on our roads. Such a scale of death is not seen even in disease or war," Gadkari said. Gadkari identified poorly designed accident-prone stretches, or "black spots," as a major contributor to fatalities. To eliminate these, he said, the government is spending Rs 40,000 crore. He added that the Ministry has identified 100 districts across the country where accidents are most concentrated, and that targeted interventions are underway in these areas. He also noted a paradox in India's road development story. The country has now overtaken Japan to become the world's third-largest road network, behind only the US and China. Yet, he said, India also holds the unfortunate distinction of recording the highest number of road accidents globally, a sharp contrast to Sweden, which he cited as having achieved zero road fatalities through disciplined systems and enforcement. Gadkari was candid in identifying the root cause of India's road safety failures. "Human behaviour remains our biggest weakness," he said, stressing that infrastructure and enforcement alone cannot solve the problem without a change in how people conduct themselves on the road. To address this at the source, he said the Ministry has begun focusing road safety education on students in Classes 10 and 12, to instil safer habits early. He further pointed out the economic cost of the crisis, noting that road accidents shave off nearly 3 per cent of India's GDP every year. Gadkari used the occasion to commend ICICI Lombard, which was marking 25 years of operations in India with a helmet distribution drive across 14 locations, attempting a Guinness World Records Title for the most helmets distributed in 12 hours across multiple venues. The company distributed over 25,000 ISI-certified helmets as part of the effort. "I congratulate ICICI Lombard on their 25th anniversary. The road safety initiatives of the company are commendable, having distributed over 7 lakh helmets and impacted over 2.5 million lives since 2015," Gadkari said. He added, "Road safety is a shared national responsibility that requires the collective efforts of government, institutions, industry and every road user. While we continue to strengthen road infrastructure, vehicle safety standards and enforcement, creating awareness and encouraging responsible road behaviour remain equally important. Sustained community engagement, particularly among young people and families, can play a significant role in reducing road accidents and saving lives." Speaking on the occasion, Sandeep Goradia, Chief, Retail, Business Strategy & Solutions Team, ICICI Lombard, said, "At ICICI Lombard, we believe that protecting lives extends beyond insurance. Every day, hundreds of precious lives are lost on Indian roads, making road safety not only a policy priority but also a shared national responsibility." Goradia added, "Through our Road Safety initiatives, we are fostering responsible road behaviour, encouraging safer choices, and empowering communities to build a stronger culture of road safety across India. As part of our 25-year celebration, we are distributing 25,000 helmets and attempting a 'Guinness World Records Title', reaffirming our commitment to creating safer roads." (ANI)
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