MP records second-highest road accident cases in country

Indore: Madhya Pradesh continued to remain among the country’s most accident-prone states in 2024, recording the second-highest number of road accident cases after Tamil Nadu, while also figuring among the top states in road fatalities, according to the latest NCRB data. The report shows that despite years of traffic enforcement drives and awareness campaigns, the state continues to witness a high volume of crashes, deaths and injuries on both city roads and highways.

The NCRB data placed Madhya Pradesh just behind Tamil Nadu in road accident cases during 2024. The state also recorded over 15,152 deaths and more than 56,000 injuries in road accidents during the year, making it the fourth-highest state in terms of fatalities after Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.

Separate figures on traffic accidents painted an equally grim picture, with Madhya Pradesh reporting the highest number of traffic accident cases in the country. In traffic accident deaths too, the state remained among the top four nationally.

The NCRB data further showed 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.

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 in the country 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 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.

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.

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.

GRAPHIC

Traffic accidents during 2024

Madhya Pradesh 57428

Kerala 47,053

Karnataka 43071

Uttar Pradesh 42582

Rajasthan 24969

Traffic accident Deaths during 2024

Uttar Pradesh 27071

Tamil Nadu 20390

Maharashtra 19475

Madhya Pradesh 16831

Karnataka 12399

Road accident cases during 2024

Tamil Nadu 67526

Madhya Pradesh 55711

Kerala 46591

Karnataka 43062

Rajasthan 24119

Road accident deaths during 2024

Uttar Pradesh 22923

Tamil Nadu 18449

Maharashtra 15888

Madhya Pradesh 15152

Karnataka 12390