New Delhi – Union Road Transport & Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari issued a stark warning on Monday regarding India’s dire road safety situation, stating that the nation’s roads claim more lives annually than any war or disease. Gadkari delivered his remarks at a road safety event in the national capital, organized by ICICI Lombard General Insurance as part of its corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Highlighting the gravity of the crisis, Gadkari reported that India experiences nearly 5 lakh (500,000) road accidents each year, resulting in a staggering 1.8 lakh (180,000) fatalities. He underscored the devastating impact of these statistics, noting that 66 percent of those who die are young people, a loss the country can ill afford. The Minister revealed that 54,132 lives were lost last year solely due to individuals not wearing helmets, with two-wheeler riders accounting for 45 percent of all road fatalities. “Every hour, 20 people die on our roads. Such a scale of death is not seen even in disease or war,” Gadkari emphasized.
Gadkari identified poorly designed accident-prone stretches, known as “black spots,” as a significant contributor to these deaths. To address this, the government is allocating Rs 40,000 crore for their elimination. He further stated that the Ministry has pinpointed 100 districts nationwide with the highest concentration of accidents, where targeted interventions are now underway.
The Minister also pointed out a paradoxical situation in India’s road development. While the country has surpassed Japan to become the world’s third-largest road network, trailing only the US and China, it also holds the unfortunate distinction of recording the highest number of road accidents globally. He contrasted this with Sweden, which has achieved zero road fatalities through disciplined systems and enforcement.
Gadkari candidly attributed India’s road safety failures primarily to human behavior. “Human behaviour remains our biggest weakness,” he stated, asserting that infrastructure improvements and enforcement alone are insufficient without a fundamental change in how people conduct themselves on the road. To foster safer habits from a young age, the Ministry has initiated road safety education programs for students in Classes 10 and 12. He also highlighted the substantial economic toll, noting that road accidents reduce India’s GDP by nearly 3 percent annually.
Gadkari commended ICICI Lombard for its road safety efforts, particularly on the occasion of its 25th anniversary in India. The company marked this milestone with a helmet distribution drive across 14 locations, attempting a Guinness World Records Title for the most helmets distributed in 12 hours across multiple venues. Over 25,000 ISI-certified helmets were distributed as part of this initiative.
“I congratulate ICICI Lombard on their 25th anniversary. The road safety initiatives of the company are commendable, having distributed over 7 lakh helmets and impacted over 2.5 million lives since 2015,” Gadkari said. He stressed that road safety is a shared national responsibility requiring the collective efforts of government, institutions, industry, and every road user. He added that while strengthening road infrastructure, vehicle safety standards, and enforcement are crucial, creating awareness and promoting responsible road behavior are equally important, especially through sustained community engagement among young people and families.
Sandeep Goradia, Chief, Retail, Business Strategy & Solutions Team at ICICI Lombard, reiterated the company’s commitment. “At ICICI Lombard, we believe that protecting lives extends beyond insurance. Every day, hundreds of precious lives are lost on Indian roads, making road safety not only a policy priority but also a shared national responsibility,” Goradia stated. He further emphasized that through their road safety initiatives, ICICI Lombard aims to foster responsible road behavior, encourage safer choices, and empower communities to build a stronger culture of road safety across India, with the helmet distribution marking their reaffirmation of this commitment.
