Overspeeding resulted in the maximum number of road accidents and fatalities in India in 2023, according to the 'Road Accidents in India 2023' report of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
The report has been compiled by the Transport Research Wing of MoRTH by gathering data from police departments of all the states and union territories (UTs) and over 10,00,000 cities in India.
In 2023, a total of 4,80,583 road accidents were recorded in India, resulting in 1,72,890 deaths. While road accidents increased 4.18% y-o-y, fatalities jumped 2.61% y-o-y for the year under consideration.
Overspeeding caused 68.4% of the road accidents at 3,28,727 and 68.07% of the fatalities at 1,17,682 in 2023. However, both road accidents and fatalities from overspeeding declined 1.38% y-o-y and 1.85% y-o-y, respectively, during the year.
The second most common cause of road accidents and deaths in India in 2023 was driving on the wrong side or lane indiscipline. It was followed by drunken driving or consumption of alcohol and drugs, driving while using a mobile phone, and jumping a red light.
| Category | Accidents | Fatalities |
| Overspeeding | 3,28,727 | 1,17,682 |
| Driving on the wrong side/lane indiscipline | 25,242 | 9,432 |
| Drunken driving/consumption of alcohol and drugs | 9,143 | 3,674 |
| Use of a mobile phone | 7,122 | 2,884 |
| Jumping a red light | 2,440 | 818 |
| Others | 1,07,909 | 38,400 |
| Total | 4,80,583 | 1,72,890 |
A major cause of worry is people driving cars and riding two-wheelers without using the safety equipment, including seatbelts and helmets.
Non-usage of seatbelts killed 8,441 drivers and 7,584 passengers in 2023, while 39,160 riders and 15,408 pillions died during road accidents as they were not wearing helmets.
The maximum number of road accidents in 2023 happened in Tamil Nadu (67,213), followed by Madhya Pradesh (55,327), Kerala (48,091), Uttar Pradesh (44,534) and Karnataka (43,440).
Most fatalities in road accidents in 2023 were in Uttar Pradesh (23,652), followed by Tamil Nadu (18,347), Maharashtra (15,366), Madhya Pradesh (13,798) and Karnataka (12,321).
For reference, Delhi had 5,834 road accidents involving 1,457 fatalities in 2023.
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