Hyderabad, April 11 -- India's economic progress is often measured through expanding mobility, meaning more roads, more vehicles and faster connectivity. However, the National Crime Records Bureau's (NCRB) Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India (ADSI) 2023 report, released in 2025, forces us to consider the human cost. 

The data shows that although infrastructure is expanding, road safety has not kept pace. This creates a public policy challenge that involves governance, health, planning and behavioural change.

Rising accidents and fatalities

The report records 4,64,029 road accidents in 2023, up from 4,46,768 in 2022. Fatalities increased to 1,73,826, compared to 1,71,100 in 2022, which means one accident every minute and one de...