“Record 2022: 75,000 bikers die on India’s roads”

New Delhi: In a grim milestone, a record-breaking 75,000 bike riders died in India in 2022. This led to an alarming increase of 8% in deaths on two-wheelers, accounting for a shocking 44% of the total road-related deaths, which numbered 1,68,491. Equally worrying is that 32,825 pedestrians lost their lives in the same year.

Experts are sounding the alarm and urging urgent action to protect these vulnerable road users – bikers and pedestrians. The data also shows that two-wheelers were responsible for a quarter of all road accident deaths.

What is even more worrying is that two-wheeler riders, despite their vulnerability, were responsible for the highest number of pedestrian deaths – a staggering 9,316 deaths, which is 28% of all pedestrian deaths. Additionally, 27,615 two-wheeler riders were involved in accidents with fellow two-wheelers. According to government reports, a total of 47,171 deaths were caused by the mistakes of two-wheeler drivers.

The report also breaks down the numbers state-wise, with Tamil Nadu leading in deaths of two-wheeler drivers with 11,140, followed by Maharashtra (7,733) and Uttar Pradesh (6,959). In terms of pedestrian deaths, Tamil Nadu reported 4,427 deaths, followed by Bihar (3,345) and West Bengal (2,938).

This sobering data underlines the urgent need for improved road safety measures, especially for two-wheeler riders and pedestrians, as reducing road deaths by 50% by 2030 becomes an essential target.