India loses 26 children every day in road accidents, majority driving without license

Road accidents in India continue to claim lives at an alarming rate, with 26 children dying every day in such incidents. The Ministry of Road Transport’s upcoming 2023 report reveals that 9,489 children under the age of 18 lost their lives last year, a staggering 5.49% of all road accident fatalities in the country.

The data underscores a grim trend: 2,537 of these deaths occurred because minors were driving vehicles without a license. On average, 7 minor drivers lost their lives every day, highlighting the dangers posed by underage driving. Along with those driving, 4,242 children died as passengers, while 2,232 children were run over while walking on the roads.

Another critical finding from the report is that a total of 54,568 deaths occurred in 2023 due to people failing to wear helmets. This not only emphasizes the importance of road safety measures but also serves as an alert to parents who allow children to drive illegally.

While the number of child deaths in 2023 was slightly lower than in 2022 (down by 39), road accidents in general have seen a 4.2% increase compared to the previous year. The most tragic statistic is that in 2023, 13.7% of all fatalities were from Uttar Pradesh alone, while Tamil Nadu held the top spot for road accidents for the sixth consecutive year.

The report also revealed a worrying rise in deaths caused by road conditions, with fatalities from potholes up by 16% from 2022. In total, 33,827 people lost their lives in road accidents where drivers lacked valid licenses, and 44,841 deaths occurred in accidents involving vehicles older than 10 years.

In major cities, Delhi had the highest number of fatalities due to road accidents at 1,457 deaths, followed by Bengaluru (915) and Jaipur (849). Despite government initiatives to improve road infrastructure, including addressing potholes, the continued rise in accidents remains a major concern.