Tamil Nadu Records Highest National Highway Accidents in 2025
According to data presented by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Tamil Nadu has emerged as the state with the highest number of road accidents on national highways in 2025. The southern state recorded a staggering 21,122 accidents, resulting in 6,156 fatalities. This alarming statistic highlights a persistent and growing road safety crisis on the nation's key transport corridors.
National Accident Figures and Tamil Nadu's Consistent Lead
Nationally, the year witnessed 1.34 lakh accidents on highways, leading to 57,482 deaths. Tamil Nadu's position at the top is not an isolated occurrence. The state has consistently reported high numbers, with accidents increasing from 20,582 in 2023 to 20,672 in 2024, maintaining its lead among all states for these consecutive years.
However, in terms of absolute fatalities, Tamil Nadu ranked second. Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of deaths on its national highways. This distinction underscores the severe human cost of road accidents across different regions of India.
Government's Cashless Treatment Initiative for Accident Victims
In response to the escalating fatalities, Minister Gadkari detailed a government scheme aimed at reducing mortality rates. "In order to reduce the fatality of accident victims, the government has taken up a scheme for cashless treatment of road accident victims and is presently implementing it on a pilot basis," Gadkari stated in a written reply to Lok Sabha.
The pilot program is currently active in six states and union territories: Chandigarh, Assam, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Haryana, and Puducherry. The government has planned a pan-India launch following the evaluation of this initial phase.
Key features of this cashless treatment scheme include:
- Strengthening the emergency care ecosystem for road accident victims.
- Providing coverage of up to 1.5 lakh rupees per victim to ensure immediate medical attention without financial barriers.
Primary Causes and Contributing Factors
The Ministry's report on road accidents in India identified over-speeding as the 'major killer' among traffic rule violations. Other significant contributing factors include:
- Drunken driving
- Driving on the wrong side of the road
- Jumping red lights
- Usage of mobile phones while driving
A highways department official provided additional context for Tamil Nadu's high numbers. "Even as over-speeding is the main cause, proactive registration of cases, unlike other states, is also another reason for the high statistics. The state also has no expressways or access-controlled roads, barring the Chennai bypass," the official explained.
Infrastructure Funding and Project Delays
The Union government has allocated significant funds for the development and maintenance of national highways over the past four years. These allocations were 8,230 crore rupees, 9,925 crore rupees, 9,077 crore rupees, and 6,485 crore rupees until December of the current fiscal year.
Despite these investments, some critical projects face delays. In a reply to a query from Kancheepuram MP G Selvam, Gadkari confirmed that the Arakkonam-Kancheepuram section of the Chennai-Bengaluru expressway has been halted since May of last year. This stoppage is due to financial constraints faced by the concessionaire. As a greenfield corridor project, the expressway can only be commissioned upon the completion of all its packages, leaving this vital infrastructure link in limbo.
The combination of high accident rates, ongoing safety initiatives, and infrastructure challenges paints a complex picture of road transport in Tamil Nadu and across India, demanding continued attention and action from both state and central authorities.
