Nagpur: With 629 fatalities in road accidents reported over the past 10 months, Nagpur has ranked 12th among all State police units in Maharashtra. Of these, 286 deaths occurred within Nagpur city limits, while 343 were recorded in the rural areas. The statistics also reveal a troubling pattern, with the majority of fatalities occurring on national and state highways.
Statewide, road accidents claimed at least 12,500 lives between January and October 2024. Pune district recorded the highest toll at 1,334 fatalities, surpassing the combined accident death toll of Mumbai city and Navi Mumbai, which stood at 498.
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Thursday 16 Jan. 2025
Rising numbers in Maharashtra
According to Maharashtra police data, 29,797 road accidents were reported in the first 10 months of 2024, up from 29,002 during the same period last year. However, fatalities saw a slight decrease, with 12,500 deaths reported this year compared to 12,647 in 2023.
Pune district, including Pune city, Pune rural, and Pimpri-Chinchwad police units, reported the highest number of fatalities, with Pune rural alone accounting for 772 deaths. Other districts with significant fatalities include Nashik rural (763), Ahmednagar (734), Solapur (583), and Jalgaon (420).
Highways a deadly zone
Of the total fatalities in Maharashtra this year, 7,229 deaths occurred on highways — 4,681 on national highways and 2,548 on state highways. The data highlights the urgent need for targeted interventions on these high-risk routes.
Additional Director General of Police (Traffic) Maharashtra, Suresh Mekala, stated that every road accident death is being meticulously analyzed to identify patterns and implement corrective measures. “We are focusing on enforcement through interceptor vehicles, handheld POS machines, intelligent traffic management systems, CCTVs, and highway patrolling. Public awareness campaigns are also being conducted,” said ADGP Mekala.
The Traffic Police Department is coordinating with the Regional Transport Office (RTO), Public Works Department (PWD), National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) to improve road engineering and enforcement measures aimed at reducing fatalities.
While larger cities like Mumbai and Pune dominate the statistics, tier-two cities like Nagpur are witnessing a rising trend in road accidents and fatalities. The data underscores the need for increased focus on these cities to address infrastructure gaps and ensure stringent enforcement of traffic rules.
Authorities remain hopeful that a combination of improved engineering, effective enforcement, and public awareness will bring down the number of road accidents and fatalities across the state.
