Telangana Ranks Ninth in Road-Related Deaths

Hyderabad: Telangana ranked eighth in the country in the number of road accidents on National Highways, and ninth in the number of deaths in accidents on National Highways, claiming thousands of lives every year and placing a heavy burden on families.

According to data from the transport department, in 2025, up to October, another 22,441 accidents have occurred, resulting in 6,221 deaths, translating to 18 to 20 people dying on average every day on Telangana’s roads due to accidents. In 2024, the state recorded 25,986 road accidents, in which 7,949 people lost their lives, and 23,658 others were injured.

Data shows that young adults are the worst affected. Nearly 68 per cent of those killed in road accidents in the state are between 18 and 45 years of age, with people aged 26 to 45 forming the single largest group with 51 per cent of the deceased. This has serious social and economic consequences, as it affects the most productive section of society.

National highways and state highways record a large share of accidents, especially at identified black spots. The department stated that if a 500-metre stretch sees more than five accidents or more than 10 people dying due to accidents, that stretch is considered as a black spot. In 2024, Telangana had 936 such black spots across the state, with 656 black spots on national highways, 117 black spots on state highways and 163 black spots on other roads.

While the total number of accidents has increased, officials note that the severity of accidents has slightly reduced. Severity of accidents is calculated through the number of deaths per 100 accidents. Between 2023 and 2024, although the number of deceased has increased from 7,660 to 7,949, the severity of the accidents reduced from 33 to 31, with authorities pointing at better trauma care and faster emergency response in areas.

The situation is not confined to the state, but reflects a wider national problem.

India records around 400 road accident deaths every day. In 2023 alone, over 1.72 lakh people died and more than 4.43 lakh were injured in road crashes across the country. Children and young people are among the most affected, with road accidents accounting for nearly 10 percent of all accident-related deaths among minors.

Telangana is also seeing rapid growth in vehicles. The total number of registered vehicles in the state has increased by over 140 per cent in the last decade, growing from around 71 lakh in 2014 to more than 1.8 crore by 2025. Two-wheelers form the largest share of this growth, followed by cars and transport vehicles. On average, nearly nine lakh new vehicles are added every year.

Recognising the seriousness of accidents in the state, the government has stepped up efforts to improve road safety through a structured and long-term approach. The transport department is implementing a comprehensive action plan based on the “4Es” strategy: Education, enforcement, engineering and emergency care. Awareness programmes are being conducted across the State to promote helmet use, seat belts, safe speeds and responsible driving habits among all road users.

The government is also strengthening electronic monitoring systems. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras and e-challan systems are being installed on high-risk and high-traffic corridors. In the first phase, electronic enforcement will cover 100 accident-prone locations, starting with major urban and non-attainment cities such as Hyderabad, Nalgonda and Sangareddy. These systems aim to curb speeding, lane violations and other dangerous driving practices.

To support these efforts financially, Telangana has created a non-lapsable Road Safety Fund of `30 crore, sourced from traffic fines and penalties. In addition, a road safety cess on new vehicles has been approved in principle, with funds to be used for awareness campaigns, enforcement equipment, driver training centres and improved emergency care. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to reducing road accident deaths through coordinated action across departments, with the goal of making Telangana’s roads safer for every citizen.

Speaking with Deccan Chronicle, road safety expert and founder of SafeTortoise Kiran Kumar Goli said "Majority of the accidents happen at U-turns and intersections. Identification of those points are very important."

"On highways, intersections are the primary spot for accidents, while in urban areas U-turns and junctions are hotspots. For drivers, every road no matter how small or big it is, is a highway. Even on 20-feet roads, drivers are going 80-100 kmph," he said.

"The government has to take a more proactive approach on accident prevention. Why is road safety a special drive? It should be considered as a 24x7, 365 day activity, not a one-time thing. They have to collect more data, and use that data to understand where and how accidents are happening to prevent accidents," he said.