Panaji witnessed a disturbing surge in road fatalities in November 2025, with official statistics revealing a significant jump compared to the same period last year. The rise has been linked to increased tourist traffic and a recent government decision to scale back on-road enforcement against violations.
Sharp Rise in Accidents and Fatalities
According to the latest data from the traffic police, fatal road accidents increased by 33% in November 2025. A total of 20 such accidents were reported, up from 15 in November 2024. Consequently, road deaths saw an even steeper rise of 37%, with 22 lives lost compared to 16 the previous year. A fatal road accident is defined as a traffic incident resulting in death, and the road deaths figure quantifies the total fatalities from these events.
A major contributor to this grim statistic was the rise in two-wheeler accidents, which led to a 22% increase in rider deaths during the month. This spike marks a worrying reversal from earlier in the year when Goa had shown promising signs of improvement in road safety.
Tourist Season and Policy Shift Behind the Surge
Authorities have attributed the increase to a rise in traffic movement due to the peak tourist season. However, a key factor highlighted is the government's decision to reduce enforcement by withdrawing police personnel tasked with issuing challans (fines) for traffic violations.
This decision was taken by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant after receiving several complaints of harassment by police personnel, especially those from the lower ranks deployed for traffic management. The correlation between reduced enforcement and rising accidents is stark when comparing quarterly data.
In the first quarter of 2025, the state recorded a 23% dip in fatal accidents and a 25% drop in road deaths. This was a positive shift from previous years where, on average, one person died daily in road accidents. However, by the fourth quarter of 2025, the reduction had narrowed dramatically to just 6% in fatal accidents and 7% in road deaths.
Police Initiatives and Long-Term Measures
The Goa police had set an annual target to reduce fatal accidents by 10% in 2025, a goal now under severe threat. Despite the overall annual reduction in challans issued—nearly 1.6 lakh people were booked till November, marking an overall reduction of about 48%—the fatality rate climbed.
In response, the traffic cell has intensified its awareness campaigns. They have conducted extensive drives in schools, colleges, and panchayats, holding over 700 lectures that educated more than 40,000 people on traffic rules and safety.
For structural solutions, the traffic cell has written to the Public Works Department (PWD) seeking both short-term and long-term measures to reduce accidents. An analysis of 2024 accident patterns revealed that the maximum number occurred between 6 pm and 7 pm. A senior police officer explained, "A higher number of accidents occur after office hours as everyone is in a hurry to get home."
The recent statistics present a complex challenge for Goa, balancing public sentiment against perceived harassment with the undeniable need for strict traffic regulation to prevent loss of life on its roads.
