Rising two wheeler fatalities highlight urgent need for road safety measures in delhi

New Delhi: A week ago, two youths lost their lives and two others were injured when their scooter apparently hit a divider in Pandav Nagar, east Delhi. Just days earlier, in Outer Delhi’s Peeragarhi, a car collided with a stationary scooter, sending a youth attending to a video call off a flyover and injuring his two friends. These incidents underscore the dangers faced by two-wheeler riders, as well as the risks associated with negligent and distracted driving. Last year, there was an 11% increase in fatalities involving two-wheelers and 128 people have already lost their lives in such accidents this year.
Delhi Police data shows a steady rise in road fatalities, with 611 lives lost last year, up from 549 in 2023. The trend shows no signs of abating, with 128 fatalities reported this year in just over two months till March 13. Furthermore, the number of fatal accidents has also risen, going up from 538 in 2023 to 588 last year. Till date, 123 such cases have been reported this year.
According to police, there have been several instances when motorcyclists chose to ignore basic traffic safety rules, such as not wearing helmets, excessive speeding and driving in the wrong direction into incoming traffic. This reckless behaviour has had tragic consequences. A police officer said, “There are several incidents where the bikers lost control and ended up crashing directly into road dividers, resulting in loss of life.”
A significant number of individuals sustained injuries as a result of road accidents over the past few years. In 2023, as many as 2,356 people were reported to have been injured in traffic-related incidents. The following year, the number of injured individuals was slightly lower but still alarming at 2,234. This year, the figures so far say that 597 people have been injured in road accidents.

Police reported that many motorcyclists caught for violating traffic rules often justified their actions by claiming they were rushing to a destination in an emergency. According to officers, many riders admitted to taking unauthorised shortcuts through narrow lanes and residential areas to save time. They were also found to be driving at dangerously high speeds, further endangering themselves and others on the road.
Ajay Chaudhary, special commissioner of police (Traffic), claimed that the cops regularly acted against such violators of laws. “We not only take action but also work to raise awareness about road safety among two-wheeler riders,” he said.
DCP (Traffic) Rajeev Kumar said that failure to wear helmets properly is a significant contributor to road fatalities. “We have observed that many riders either carry helmets in their hands, wear poor-quality helmets or fail to buckle the straps, rendering the helmet ineffective in the event of an accident,” said Kumar. “People should prioritise their safety by wearing helmets that are designed to protect them.”
According to experts, segregating two-wheelers on roads can significantly reduce serious and fatal road traffic accidents. Motorcycles, bicycles and scooters constitute almost 74% of the motorised traffic mix, and without considering needs and codes of traffic engineering practice, they seem to create multi-lanes, driving between three and four-wheeled vehicles, breaking basic indiscipline and putting themselves at risk.
According to Rohit Baluja, president, Institute of Road Traffic Education, “The safety of two-wheeler riders remains a pressing concern due to the lack of dedicated or traffic-engineered infrastructure. Two-wheeler riders face hazards from heavy commercial vehicles in the left lane, speeding cars in the right lane and lane-changing vehicles in the middle lane.” He stressed the need for strict implementation of Regulation 33 of the Motor Vehicles Driving Regulations, which allows lane splitting by two-wheelers on urban roads only under certain conditions.