Nagpur: While Maharashtra witnessed a sharp rise in road accidents in 2024, the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway reported a marginal decline in mishaps, according to provisional data from the State Highway Police.
The data reveals that overall road accidents in the state surged by 2.38%, with 36,084 accidents recorded in 2024 compared to 35,243 in 2023. However, the number of fatalities saw a slight decline of 0.20%, dropping from 15,366 in 2023 to 15,335 in 2024.
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Friday 31 Jan. 2025
The Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway saw a 4% reduction in accidents, with 128 cases reported in 2024 compared to 134 in 2023. More significantly, fatalities on this route declined by 29%, with 107 deaths recorded in 79 fatal accidents, a drop from 151 deaths in 81 fatal accidents in 2023. Additionally, fatal accidents saw a 2% decrease.
In contrast, the Mumbai-Pune Expressway saw a significant 19% rise in road accidents, highlighting the growing concerns over road safety measures.
Despite the positive trend on the Samruddhi Expressway, sources indicate that serious accidents on the route have increased by 35%, even as minor accidents declined by 55%. Experts suggest that while improved safety measures have helped reduce fatalities, the sharp rise in serious accidents remains a cause for concern.
Maharashtra, the country’s most industrialised state, has more than 3.8 crore vehicles. The state witnessed 841 more accidents and 31 fewer fatalities in 2024 as compared to 2023, it showed. “In 2024, the State recorded 36,084 accidents, while the figure was 35,243 accidents in 2023. The number of fatalities dropped to 15,335 in 2024 from 15,366 in 2023. The dip in the number of fatalities is 0.20 percent, while the rise in the number of accidents is 2.38 per cent,” as per the Highway Police data.
“Nine districts and cities have reported more than 10 percent surge in fatalities. The highest 25 percent surge in fatalities was observed in Dhule district, followed by 23.4 per cent in Sindhudurg. A total of 24 districts and cities, including Mumbai, witnessed a drop in fatalities. But only four cities and districts recorded a drop in fatalities of more than 10 per cent,” it added.
Wardha district has recorded the highest drop in fatalities at 29.2 per cent, followed by 15.9 per cent in Nashik city, while Washim was the only district where fatalities in the two years remained static.
“Mumbai-Pune Expressway witnessed 184 total accidents in 2024 as against 154 in 2023. However, there was a sharp 26 per cent rise in fatalities and 23 per cent increase in the number of fatal accidents. The Mumbai-Pune Expressway witnessed 70 fatal accidents and 82 fatalities in 2024 as against 57 fatal accidents and 65 fatalities in 2023,” as per data.
Moreover, the number of serious accidents has gone up by 41 per cent and minor accidents by 39 per cent on Mumbai-Pune Expressway, which was the first access-controlled corridor in the country.
