India recorded a decline in fatalities caused by accidents on national highways in 2025, marking the first year-on-year reduction since the COVID-19 pandemic. Information shared by Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha showed that deaths on national highways fell by 4% to 62,122 in 2025 from 64,772 in 2024. In 2023, the number of fatalities on national highways stood at 63,112. 
Despite the improvement in highway fatalities, road accidents across the country increased during the year. A total of 5,13,563 road accidents were reported by police departments across states and Union Territories in 2025, an increase of 5.30% over the previous year. These accidents claimed 1,83,382 lives, which translates to nearly 21 deaths every hour. 
The minister informed Parliament that national highways accounted for 1,43,526 road accidents in 2025. As of late July this year, 77,234 accidents had already been reported on national highways. 
Among the states, Tamil Nadu recorded the highest number of road accidents at 71,387 during 2025, while Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of accident-related deaths at 27,550. 
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, which is responsible for the development and maintenance of national highways, also updated Parliament on measures being taken to improve road safety. Gadkari said accident-prone locations, commonly known as black spots, are now being identified on a real-time basis using AI-based tools developed by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur. Based on accident data available through the Electronic Detailed Accident Report (e-DAR) system for the 2023–2025 period, authorities have identified 6,358 black spot corridors across the country. 
The government is also expanding the use of Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS) on national highways to improve traffic monitoring, reduce accidents and strengthen emergency response. These systems include electronic enforcement devices that help detect incidents and traffic violations more quickly while improving monitoring of highway stretches. ATMS has already been approved for 531 kilometres of national highways, while the approval process has begun for an additional 6,000 kilometres. 
Providing an update on highway infrastructure, the minister said that 1,191 national highway projects covering a total length of 25,917 kilometres are currently under construction across the country at an estimated cost of INR 7.15 lakh crore. The highway expansion programme continues to be one of the government's key infrastructure initiatives aimed at improving connectivity and supporting economic growth. 
The minister also shared progress under the Voluntary Vehicle Fleet Modernisation Programme (VVMP), which promotes environmentally responsible disposal of old vehicles through Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities (RVSFs). As of late July this year, 70,495 commercial vehicles and 3,96,486 private passenger vehicles had been scrapped through these facilities. A total of 153 RVSFs are now operational across 23 states and Union Territories. 
On the issue of bridge safety, Gadkari informed Parliament that all bridges, flyovers, overbridges and viaducts on national highways are regularly inspected by agencies including the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Public Works Departments (PWDs), National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). These inspections are carried out to identify structural issues at an early stage and undertake necessary repairs. 
The government has identified 471 bridges with local structural distress. Repair work has already been completed on 159 of these bridges, while remedial measures for the remaining 312 bridges are scheduled to be completed by December 2028. 
Road safety has remained a major concern in India despite sustained investments in highway infrastructure and stricter enforcement measures. In recent years, the government has introduced initiatives such as AI-based accident analysis, the e-DAR reporting system, expansion of intelligent traffic management systems and the vehicle scrapping policy to improve safety outcomes. The latest decline in national highway fatalities indicates some progress, although the rise in overall road accidents highlights the need for continued focus on enforcement, safer road design, vehicle standards and responsible driving behaviour. 
Source PTI