Nagpur: Despite record fines, intensified surveillance, and countless awareness drives, Nagpur’s roads are slipping into anarchy. Traffic violations in the city have surged by a staggering 40% in just two years, exposing an alarming collapse in civic road behaviour and questioning the very effectiveness of enforcement agencies.
In 2022, the city recorded 9.77 lakh traffic violations. That number soared to 13.67 lakh in 2024, and 2025 is already on track to eclipse every previous record — with 5.77 lakh cases reported in just the first four months. At this rate, Nagpur is staring at over 17 lakh violations by year-end — a grim milestone that could make 2025 the worst year in the city’s traffic history.
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20 May 2025
Violations linked to deaths, yet no deterrence
The most disturbing trend is the rise in life-threatening offences, many directly contributing to crashes, injuries, and deaths.
Speeding, a known killer on roads, surged by 35.7%, from 16,388 cases in 2022 to 22,246 in 2024. This year already saw 5,003 such cases by April.
Wrong-side driving — a reckless, often fatal offence — more than doubled from 3,957 (2022) to 8,172 (2024). In just four months of 2025, 3,881 violations have been registered.
Red light jumping exploded by 90.3%, from 33,885 in 2022 to 64,514 in 2024, with 22,002 more this year so far.
These numbers point to not just ignorance, but brazen defiance of traffic norms — a culture of lawlessness that routine policing appears unable to curb.
Drunk driving, mobile use:
Drunk driving rose 64.6%, from 824 cases in 2022 to 1,357 in 2024, with 467 incidents already in 2025.
Mobile phone usage while driving, a deadly distraction, skyrocketed 160%, from 3,561 cases (2022) to 9,255 (2024). The first quarter of 2025 has already seen 3,123 such cases.
Massive fines, minimal impact
The city collected a whopping Rs 14 crore in traffic fines in 2024, and has already raked in nearly Rs 5 crore in just four months of 2025. Yet the figures suggest that fines are failing as a deterrent.
Notably, compounding cases — where violators settle fines on the spot — dropped slightly from 2.45 lakh (2022) to 2.36 lakh (2024). Experts say this may signal a shift toward harsher legal action rather than instant penalties, but the behaviour on roads tells a different story.
Helmetless riding, triple-seat travel rampant
Helmet violations ballooned from 5.44 lakh in 2022 to 8.92 lakh in 2024 — a 64% jump, with over 4.1 lakh more cases this year.
Triple-seat riding on two-wheelers surged by 88.6%, from 16,715 (2022) to 31,516 (2024). Already, 12,482 riders have been booked in 2025.
Driving without a valid licence crossed 73,000 cases in 2024, with another 31,956 in just four months this year.
Parking violations remained consistently high — over 90,000 annually.
Traffic officials insist the rise in violations reflects enhanced digital surveillance and stricter monitoring. But experts argue that surveillance alone isn’t enough. Without deep-rooted behavioural change, stricter licence suspension rules, and court-backed penalties, Nagpur’s roads will continue to be death traps.
Public education efforts, too, must shift from symbolic campaigns to sustained engagement, say road safety advocates. The current trajectory paints a grim picture: Nagpur’s traffic chaos is not just a law-and-order issue — it’s a public health emergency.
