Road Crash Deaths in Karnataka Decline, But Challenges Remain

Road crash deaths across Karnataka have seen a decline compared to last year, as per data shared by the state police. Up until the end of July, the state recorded 6,797 deaths due to road crashes, down from 7,233 deaths during the same period last year.

In 2023, Karnataka recorded a total of 12,332 deaths on its roads. Notably, in the past three months, there were 2,674 fatalities, compared to 3,122 deaths during the same period last year. Bengaluru also saw a slight decrease, with 65 deaths recorded in July 2024, down from 72 in July 2023.

Alok Kumar, Additional Director General of Police (Traffic and Road Safety), attributed the reduction in fatalities to targeted efforts such as blackspot rectification and increased police presence on the roads. “It is a combination of factors. One thing is blackspot rectification efforts. We are also improving enforcement efforts through drives and police visibility, which we are seeing is creating a deterrence effect,” Kumar explained.

He highlighted that these efforts have been particularly effective in districts like Belagavi and Tumakuru, where enhanced police presence in accident-prone areas has led to more cautious driving behaviour among motorists.

Despite these improvements, Kumar acknowledged that more needs to be done to further reduce the number of road crash fatalities. “We need to work towards increasing rule compliance among road users, even pedestrians. The behaviour of drivers needs to change because there is a lack of safe and defensive driving being observed today,” he said, emphasizing the ongoing need for education and enforcement to promote safer driving practices.