Pothole-related road fatalities jumped 53% in 5 years

Basics and static context

What counts as pothole-related accidents ?

• Pothole-related accidents are crashes where road surface defects directly cause loss of control, recorded in police FIRs and compiled by MoRTH in its annual Road Accidents in India reports.
• They fall under infrastructure-related causes, alongside poor signage and road design; globally, WHO notes road infrastructure quality significantly influences crash risks, especially for two-wheelers and pedestrians.

Scale of the problem in India

• India records about 1.7 lakh road deaths annually (2024), the highest in the world; even small shares from potholes translate into thousands of preventable deaths.
• India has the second-largest road network (~63 lakh km), including ~1.46 lakh km of National Highways, making maintenance a massive governance and fiscal challenge.

Why in news ?

Sharp rise in fatalities

• Lok Sabha data show pothole deaths rose from 1,555 (2020) to 2,385 (2024) — a 53% jump, signalling worsening road maintenance outcomes despite rising infrastructure spending.
• Total pothole-linked deaths over 2020–24 reached 9,438, averaging nearly 5 deaths daily, highlighting that potholes are not minor defects but serious safety hazards.

Data and trends

Accident and injury pattern

• Pothole accidents increased from 3,713 (2020) to 5,432 (2024); grievous injuries also remained high, showing that many victims survive with long-term disabilities.
• Minor injuries crossed 10,000 cases in five years, indicating a broader safety burden beyond fatalities, including healthcare costs and productivity losses.

State-wise concentration

• Uttar Pradesh contributes the largest share of deaths, consistent with its overall high road fatality numbers and vast road network.
• MP, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Assam together account for over 80% of pothole deaths, showing regional clustering linked to traffic density and maintenance gaps.

Governance and policy dimension

Maintenance vs construction bias

• India’s road policy has prioritised new highway construction, but maintenance budgets and monitoring often lag, leading to rapid deterioration, especially after monsoons.
• Contracts sometimes focus on asset creation, not lifecycle upkeep; performance-based maintenance is less uniformly enforced across states and urban local bodies.

Accountability issues

• Multiple agencies (NHAI, PWDs, municipalities) share responsibility, causing diffused accountability when pothole deaths occur.
• Though courts have occasionally held authorities liable, routine criminal or financial accountability for negligence remains rare.

Economic and social implications

Economic costs

• Road crashes cost India an estimated ~3–5% of GDP annually (various government and World Bank estimates); pothole crashes add to repair costs, medical bills and productivity losses.
• Logistics delays from poor road quality raise transport costs, indirectly affecting inflation and competitiveness.

Social justice angle

• Victims are often two-wheeler riders and lower-income commuters, who are more exposed and less protected than car occupants.
• Families of victims face sudden income shocks, linking road safety with poverty and social protection concerns.

Environmental and urban angle

Urban flooding and potholes

• Poor drainage and waterlogging accelerate pothole formation; cities with clogged stormwater systems see roads degrade quickly after heavy rains.
• Climate change–linked extreme rainfall events can worsen this cycle, raising maintenance demands.

Challenges and way forward

Structural challenges

• Reactive “patchwork repairs” dominate over scientific resurfacing, leading to recurring potholes within a single season.
• Weak data integration between police, transport and road agencies limits targeted interventions on blackspots.

Reform priorities

• Adopt performance-based maintenance contracts with penalties for defects, as used in some highway PPP models.
• Use geo-tagging, citizen-reporting apps and third-party audits to monitor road quality; some cities already pilot such digital grievance systems.
• Integrate road safety with Safe System Approach (safer roads, vehicles, speeds, users, post-crash care) recommended by WHO.

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