Pedestrian fatalities in India are not confined to congested urban centres. Nearly 30% of the more than 1.8 lakh pedestrian deaths recorded between 2019 and 2024 occurred on national highways, according to an analysis of road transport ministry data reported by The Times of India (TOI).
The report, based on the ministry's annual "Road Accidents in India" data compiled from state police records, found that cities with populations above 5 million accounted for only about 12-13% of all pedestrian deaths during the six-year period. The remaining fatalities were reported on urban roads outside these cities as well as on state highways, district roads and rural roads.
The data shows that more than 30,500 pedestrians were killed on average every year between 2019 and 2024, highlighting the vulnerability of pedestrians as one of the most at-risk groups of road users.
According to the 2024 road accident report, 36,526 pedestrians lost their lives during the year. Of these, nearly 54% were killed in collisions involving two-wheelers and cars, accounting for 19,680 deaths. Road safety experts told TOI that the figures underline the lack of dedicated footpaths and safe crossing infrastructure across the country.
