RTI Data Exposes Alarming Road Accident Toll in Gujarat: 38,530 Deaths in Five Years
A recent Right to Information (RTI) disclosure has unveiled shocking statistics regarding road safety in Gujarat, revealing that a staggering 38,530 individuals lost their lives in 79,054 road accidents across the state between 2021 and 2025. This data, provided in an official response dated March 26 to Ghatlodia resident Manoj Patel, highlights a persistent and concerning rise in both incidents and fatalities on Gujarat's roads.
Year-by-Year Breakdown and Disturbing Averages
The figures indicate that 2022 was the deadliest year, with 9,954 fatalities recorded. Meanwhile, accident numbers peaked in 2025, with 56,100 crashes reported. On average, this translates to approximately one person dying every hour and nearly two accidents occurring hourly during the five-year period under review. Despite ongoing enforcement drives and public awareness campaigns by authorities, the data suggests a steady and unyielding pattern of road mishaps.
Primary Victims and Leading Causes Identified
Officials have pointed out that pedestrians and two-wheeler riders constitute a significant proportion of the victims. Police sources attribute the majority of accidents to two main factors:
- Over-speeding and poor compliance with basic traffic rules.
- A lack of pedestrian-friendly infrastructure combined with insufficient monitoring of heavy vehicles on highways and urban roads.
According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Gujarat boasts approximately 2.9 crore registered vehicles. Officials note that while vehicle numbers have consistently increased over the years, road infrastructure and facilities for pedestrians and cyclists have not kept pace with this growth.
Current Measures and Their Apparent Ineffectiveness
Senior traffic police officials stated that various measures are being implemented to curb accidents, including:
- Installing speed cameras at critical points.
- Conducting regular checks against drunken driving.
- Identifying and monitoring accident-prone stretches.
However, the RTI data clearly indicates that these initiatives have not yet resulted in a meaningful reduction in fatalities, underscoring the need for more effective strategies.
CAG Report Highlights Systemic Shortcomings
Separately, findings from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India report for the period ending March 2024 point to significant shortcomings in the transport system that could directly impact road safety and enforcement. The audit reviewed the functioning of the State Transport Authority and Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) using the VAHAN and SARATHI databases across nine RTOs between April 2019 and March 2024.
The CAG report uncovered several critical issues:
- 5,36,634 vehicles were operating with expired registration certificates that had neither been renewed nor scrapped, reflecting serious compliance gaps and a potential revenue loss of Rs 88.58 crore.
- 1,91,977 vehicles were found to be operating without valid state permits as of March 2024.
- Delays in issuing permits ranged from 31 days to an astonishing 1,808 days, with 4,839 cases pending for over 500 days.
- Additionally, 98,619 vehicles continued to ply with expired permits without any renewal or enforcement action taken against them.
These systemic failures in vehicle registration and permit management pose a direct threat to road safety, as unregulated and non-compliant vehicles increase the risk of accidents.
The combined insights from the RTI data and the CAG report paint a grim picture of road safety in Gujarat, emphasizing an urgent need for comprehensive reforms in infrastructure, enforcement, and administrative oversight to prevent further loss of life.
