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10 Causes of Road Accidents in India and Preventive Measures

Road accidents occur frequently, even though most road users are aware of safety measures. Road accidents can lead to injuries, financial struggles and emotional turmoil. The most unfortunate thing is that we don't learn from our mistakes on the road. Most of the people are quite well aware of the safety measures and general rules while using roads but slight lack of concentration can cause accidents and crashes. On that note, we will look at some of the causes of accidents on Indian roads.

What Are the 10 Causes of Road Accidents in India?

According to the Transport Research Wing, which came out with the Road Accident Report of 2019, road accidents can have multiple causes.

1. Overspeeding

The major cause of road accidents in these recent years is overspeeding. It is also responsible for the most number of deaths and injuries in road accidents. Hence, drive within speed limits even when you are late.

2. Driving without a Valid Licence

Driving without a valid licence accounts for 9.9% of the total accidents. It may come as a surprise to readers to learn that drivers with valid licences accounted for a lion’s share of the total accidents! Meanwhile, driving with a learner’s licence accounted for 4.9% of the total accidents in 2019.

3. Driving In the Wrong Lane

This traffic violation accounts for 5.4% of the total accidents in 2019, according to the TRW’s report. As is noticed commonly, drivers do not keep to their lanes but cross lanes whenever they choose. This is very dangerous, and sudden swerving to the left or right can cause accidents.

4. Drunken Driving

It accounts for 2.7% of the total accidents. Always call a cab or arrange for a designated driver whenever you are at some party where alcohol is served. For every increase of 0.05 blood concentration of alcohol, accident risks doubles. Hence, choose not to drink and drive for your as well as others’ safety on the roads.

5. Use of Mobile Phone

This accounts for 2.3% of accidents, according to the same TRW report. Using a mobile phone while driving distracts you. Hence, you should pull up to the curb and answer calls instead of driving and speaking into the phone. Never take your eyes off the road, and do not attempt to text while driving.

6. Jumping Red Lights

This is the cause of 1.0% of road accidents in India. While this indicates vast compliance to the traffic rules, it is still a major cause of road accidents. Therefore, do not jump the signals as it may cause disasters.

7. Type of Area (Residential, Commercial, Institutional)

Readers will be interested to know that most of the accidents took place in open areas and not congested or residential areas. Hence, stricter enforcement of traffic rules in open areas such as highways is a must.

Type of Area	% of Total Accidents
Residential Area	19%
Institutional Area	7%
Market/ Commercial Area	14%
Open Area	45%
Other Types of Neighbourhoods not Covered Here	15%

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8. Adverse Weather Conditions

73.6% of the total accidents took place in sunny/clear weather. The rest took place in fog, rain, etc. It goes to show that careless driving is a major cause of road accidents in India and not adverse weather conditions.

Type of Weather	% of Total Accidents
Sunny/ Clear	73.6%
Rainy	8.9%
Foggy and misty	7.5%
Hail/ Sleet	0.9%
Others	9.2%

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9. Overloading

Overloading of trucks causes accidents in some cases. How do these accidents occur? Here are a few reasons.

Truck tyres bursting from excessive weights

Brakes wearing out due to friction

Road collapses caused by overloaded trucks

Roll-over of trucks because of the centre of gravity shifting.

Every state has control over the load limit. Not adhering to the same can cause accidents

Type of Loading	% of Total Accidents
Normally loaded	60.8%
Overloaded	7.9%
Unknown	31.3%

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These were the 10 leading causes of road accidents. On that note, let’s learn about how we can prevent road accidents in India.

How to Prevent Road Accidents in India?

Here are some ways in which you can prevent road accidents in India.

Do not drink and drive.
Wear a helmet/seatbelt.
Drive within the prescribed speed limits.
Never wear earphones or mobile phones while driving.
Know and follow all the traffic rules and safety rules.
Take breaks while driving for long hours at a stretch.

In conclusion, we would like to stress the importance of being safe in 2022. Drive carefully and follow all the traffic rules of your state. It would help if you were a responsible citizen and heeded the advice of the government. Moreover, knowing the major causes of accidents can help you avoid them on Indian roads.