More & More 2-wheeler riders & pedestrians dying on Indian roads

Worryingly, out of the 69,635 riders killed in 2021, 47,000 were not wearing helmets.

According to a report published by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the number of fatal accidents involving pedestrians and 2-wheeler riders has increased consistently over the past few years.

As per government data, 56,136 people died in 2-wheeler accidents in 2019. That’s 37.1% of the total road fatalities during the year. In 2021, this figure rose to 69,635 deaths, which is 45.1% of total road accident deaths.

Worryingly, out of the 69,635 riders killed in 2021, 47,000 were not wearing helmets. Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of helmet-related deaths (6,445), followed by Tamil Nadu (5,888) and Maharashtra (4,966).

The report also details the number of pillion riders killed in 2-wheeler accidents. Last year, while 32,877 riders lost their lives, 13,716 pillion fatalities were reported. The number of pedestrian deaths also went up by 17.1% from 25,858 in 2019 to 29,124 deaths in 2021.

While it’s not surprising that overspeeding caused the most fatalities, the report also lists wrong-side driving, use of mobile phones while driving, driving under the influence and jumping traffic signals as some of the other reasons behind fatal crashes.