India’s Road Crashes Surge As Rear-End & Hit-and-Run Top List - 'Brake The Habit'

Road safety in India has always been a concern and today it paints an even more worrying picture. For us to understand how and why road accidents happen, the numbers show a clear message. However, most crashes are preventable if we change our habits on the road. Here's a quick look at India's road accident data, which paints a bleak picture for road safety in the country.

Rise In Accidents Across India

According to MoRTH data, road accidents in 2023 had increased compared to 2022. The biggest contributor to this rise was the “Hit from Back” category. It is the type of accident where one vehicle crashes into the rear of another, and this alone accounts for 21% of total accidents and 20% of accident-related deaths. Rear-end collisions usually happen

when drivers are distracted, tailgating, braking suddenly or driving on slippery roads. Something as simple as maintaining a safe distance or avoiding phone usage could prevent thousands of such crashes and mishappenings.

Hit-and-Run

What was even more alarming and concerning was the rising number of Hit-and-Run cases, which contributed to 14.3% of accidents, 18.1% of total deaths and 11.8% injuries in 2023 and such incidents often leave victims helpless with no immediate aid. However, the Government, under the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act 2019, increased compensation for families of hit-and-run victims from Rs 25,000 to Rs 2 lakh but the emotional loss can never truly be compensated.

Head-On Collisions

Another major factor behind road fatalities is Head-on Collisions, which account for 17.6% of accidents, 16.7% of deaths and 19.4% of injuries. These crashes often occur due to overspeeding, overtaking on curves, wrong-side driving, or poor judgment on highways. They are among the most dangerous accident types because the impact force doubles when two vehicles hit each other from opposite directions.

Also Read:Contractors Will Pay For Highway Mishaps, MoRTH To Enforce Up To Rs 50 Lakh Penalties - 'Brake The Habit'

Whether it is looking at a text message for two seconds or driving too close to the vehicle ahead, small mistakes create big tragedies. Road safety experts say that India can drastically reduce accidents simply by improving driver behaviour, spreading awareness and enforcing rules more strictly.

The increment in road accident numbers of 2023 serves as an example that road safety is not just the government’s responsibility, but every driver, rider and pedestrian plays a role. Wearing seatbelts, slowing down, avoiding phone use, maintaining safe distance, respecting speed limits and offering help during accidents can together create safer roads for everyone.

Times Now, India’s leading English News channel, through its automotive vertical Times Drive, launched a nationwide road safety initiative, ‘Brake The Habit’ on India’s 79th Independence Day. Across metro cities, bold campaign messaging transformed bus shelters and billboards into wake-up calls against overspeeding, reckless overtakes, and distracted driving. This initiative was officially flagged off by Shri Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Minister for Road Transport and Highways, who unveiled the initiative and lauded Times Network for leveraging its stature to amplify the importance of road safety and champion a cause of national significance.