NEW DELHI Riders of two-wheelers had the highest share of road deaths – 45% or 77,539 – in 2023 while 48,818 people were killed in accidents caused by these vehicles in that year, according to the Union ministry of road transport & highways recently published road crashes report. Cars and taxis followed as the second-highest contributors to road fatalities, while trucks ranked third.The Road Accidents in India 2023 report showed that crashes caused by two-wheelers had a particularly severe impact on vulnerable road users. One-fourth of all pedestrians and cyclists killed in 2023 died in accidents involving two-wheelers, indicating a growing threat to non-motorised road users. Significantly, the highest number of victims in two-wheeler-related crashes were the riders themselves. Of the total fatalities caused by these vehicles, 27,539 people who lost their lives were riding two-wheelers at the time of the crash.
In crashes caused by two-wheeler drivers, data shared by states showed, Tamil Nadu reported the maximum number of pedestrian deaths (1,796) and two-wheeler occupant fatalities (5,906) among all states and UTs. The other states where the number of pedestrian fatalities in such crashes was significant were West Bengal (938), Bihar (865), Karnataka (787) and Maharashtra (747) in 2023. Similarly, states where two-wheeler riders were killed in accidents caused by the same vehicle included MP (2,916), Maharashtra (2,646) and Uttar Pradesh (2,279).The report also highlights how two-wheeler riders remain the most vulnerable in crashes caused by other vehicles.While experts have called for stricter enforcement of helmet laws, they have also stressed on the need to have segregated lanes for two-wheelers.
