Nagpur: Road safety efforts appear to be yielding results in Nagpur, with the city recording a 27% decline in road accident fatalities during the first eight months of 2026 compared with the corresponding period last year. The reduction places Nagpur second in Maharashtra in terms of percentage decline in road deaths, with Akola registering the highest fall of 28%.
According to state-level accident data, Nagpur reported 711 road accidents between January and August 2026, leaving 156 people dead and 728 injured. During the same period in 2025, the city had recorded 840 accidents, 213 deaths and 817 injuries.
The latest figures translate into a 15% decline in accidents, a 27% reduction in fatalities and an 11% fall in injuries year-on-year. The city recorded 129 fewer crashes and 57 fewer deaths during the eight-month period.
The decline comes amid stepped-up enforcement and road-safety initiatives by the Regional Transport Office (RTO) and Nagpur Traffic Police. RTO (City) Kiran Bidkar has led several drives aimed at improving compliance with traffic rules, while traffic police have intensified patrolling and enforcement under DCP (Traffic) Aditya Mirkhelkar.
Targeted drives, including Operation U-Turn, have focused on violations considered major contributors to road crashes. Police have also increased surveillance at accident-prone locations, conducted vehicle checks and taken action against motorists violating traffic regulations.
Alongside enforcement, the RTO has expanded its road-safety awareness campaign. Programmes have been organised for school and college students, auto-rickshaw drivers and school-bus operators. Helmet rallies, walkathons, health and eye check-up camps and other awareness activities have also been conducted to promote safer road behaviour.
Decline continues over two years
Nagpur’s road accident figures have shown a downward trend over the past two years. The city recorded 1,255 accidents and 345 fatalities in 2024. The numbers fell to 1,153 accidents and 270 deaths in 2025, with authorities attributing the decline to sustained enforcement and road-safety awareness programmes.
The latest figures suggest that the trend has continued into 2026. However, the numbers also underline the scale of the challenge. Despite the decline, Nagpur recorded an average of more than 19 road accidents and nearly six deaths every week during January-August.
Traffic police and RTO officials have urged motorists to maintain discipline on the roads, obey speed limits and other traffic regulations, and use helmets and seat belts consistently.
Officials said sustained public cooperation would be essential to maintain the decline in fatalities and make Nagpur’s roads safer in the remaining months of the year.
