HYDERABAD: Telangana has registered the steepest increase in road accidents among India's major states in 2024, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The state reported a rise of 3,000 accidents, climbing from 22,903 in 2023 to 25,986 in 2024. While other large states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh saw modest increases of under 5%, Telangana's accident rate surged by 13.5%, far exceeding the national average of 1.5%.
No other major state recorded such a sharp spike. Only a few northeastern states reported higher growth rates. Fatalities have also risen, with the state recording 7,900 accident deaths in 2024, a 3.7% increase over the previous year, the highest among southern states. Data indicates that over-speeding remains the leading cause, accounting for more than 7,500 accidents and 2,760 deaths.
Improved Reporting System
Officials from the Road Transport Authority (RTA) attributed part of the increase to improved reporting systems. "Even minor road accidents are now being recorded by the police, resulting in a more comprehensive representation of road safety data," an RTA official said. To address the issue, the government has established district road safety committees across the state. "These committees are focusing on the four pillars of road safety: engineering, enforcement, education, and emergency response, with the objective of reducing fatal accidents," the official added.
However, road safety experts argue that the problem extends beyond reporting improvements and enforcement gaps. They point to deficiencies in infrastructure, including poor road markings, inadequate signage, inconsistent speed limits, and outdated traffic signal systems.
"Police should undertake a study of all highways to assess over-speeding patterns and scientifically determine speed limits," said Vinod Kanumala, co-founder of the Indian Federation of Road Safety. "Highways and the ORR witness frequent overtaking manoeuvres that often lead to crashes. Drivers tend to mimic speeding vehicles, which significantly increases the risk of accidents."
Rising Hit-and-Run Deaths Raise Road Safety Concerns
Telangana is witnessing a worrying surge in road safety violations, with hit-and-run fatalities increasing significantly in recent years. According to official data, 874 people lost their lives in hit-and-run accidents in 2023, up from 775 deaths recorded the previous year. Between 2022 and 2024, over 2,500 people were killed in hit-and-run incidents across the state, highlighting a growing threat to commuters. In 2024 alone, around 2,400 hit-and-run cases were reported, leaving thousands injured as many offenders fled the scene.
Authorities have also flagged rear-end and side-impact collisions as major contributors to road fatalities. Nearly 2,000 people died in about 8,200 such accidents during 2024. Even stationary vehicles have not been spared. Official figures indicate that 120 to 140 people lost their lives in accidents involving parked vehicles, underscoring the alarming state of road safety in the region.
