Indore: Madhya Pradesh has once again emerged as one of the most accident-prone states in India during 2024, recording the second-highest number of road accident cases in the country, according to the latest data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Only Tamil Nadu reported more road accidents than Madhya Pradesh. The state also featured among the top four states in terms of road fatalities, with over 15,152 deaths and more than 56,000 injuries reported during the year.
NCRB Data Highlights
The NCRB report reveals that despite sustained traffic enforcement drives and awareness campaigns over the years, Madhya Pradesh continues to witness a high volume of crashes, deaths, and injuries on both city roads and highways. The state recorded 55,711 road accident cases in 2024, placing it just behind Tamil Nadu, which reported 67,526 cases. In terms of fatalities, Madhya Pradesh ranked fourth after Uttar Pradesh (22,923 deaths), Tamil Nadu (18,449 deaths), and Maharashtra (15,888 deaths).
Time of Accidents
The data further shows that most road accidents across the country occurred between 6 pm and 9 pm, accounting for 20.8% of total road accidents. During this time slot, Tamil Nadu recorded the highest number of accidents at 16,823, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 11,208 and Kerala with 9,711 cases. The 3 pm to 6 pm period accounted for 17.4% of total road accidents nationally, while 12 pm to 3 pm accounted for 14.8%. Road safety experts often link these hours to a mix of heavy traffic movement, reduced visibility, speeding, and driver fatigue after long work hours.
Monthly and Highway Trends
Month-wise analysis revealed that the highest number of traffic accidents in the country took place in May, accounting for 8.8% of total cases. Time-wise analysis of traffic accidents showed that the maximum number occurred between 6 pm and 9 pm, accounting for 20.4% or 1,01,232 cases, followed by the 3 pm to 6 pm slot with 17.1% or 84,837 cases out of the total 4,95,256 traffic accidents reported in 2024.
The report also highlighted the vulnerability of commuters on National Highways. Uttar Pradesh recorded the maximum highway deaths at 7,621, accounting for 12.5% of the total 60,894 National Highway fatalities in the country. Tamil Nadu followed with 6,359 deaths, Maharashtra with 5,098, and Madhya Pradesh with 4,711 deaths, reflecting the deadly combination of speeding, poor lane discipline, and high-impact collisions on long-distance routes.
Drunk Driving Fatalities
Another worrying trend was the high share of fatalities linked to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Maximum fatalities due to driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol were reported in Uttar Pradesh at 36.4%, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 13.2%, pointing towards weak compliance with drunk-driving laws despite frequent police campaigns and checkpoints.
Overall Picture
The data collectively paints a picture of a state where rapid vehicular growth, expanding highways, and weak traffic discipline continue to outpace enforcement and road safety infrastructure. With evening hours consistently emerging as the deadliest period and highways contributing heavily to fatalities, the NCRB findings raise fresh questions over road engineering, emergency response systems, and the effectiveness of traffic policing in Madhya Pradesh.
