The death of Ministry of Finance official Navjot Singh at Dhaula Kuan has put the spotlight again on Delhi's poor road safety.
The lawyer of the accused remarked that as many as 5,000 accidents happen annually in the national capital. This reflects a disturbing reality where Delhi tops 50 Indian cities in both accidents and deaths.
In 2023, it reported 5,834 road crashes, or 7 per cent of India's total. These accidents claimed 1,457 lives, or 8 per cent of the total.
Delhi, Bengaluru lead in road accidents
India recorded 81,144 road accidents in 2023, the highest in four years. Of these, over 13 per cent was accounted for by Delhi and Bengaluru alone.
Deaths tell the same story
As many as 17,255 people died in road accidents in big cities in 2023, a nearly 1 per cent increase compared with 2022. Delhi has consistently reported the highest share of death over the past four years till 2023.
Overspeeding remains the top cause
In Delhi, 8.91 per cent of road accidents in 2023 were caused by overspeeding, while in Bengaluru the share was just over 5 per cent.
© 2025