More than 3.3 lakh people were killed in accidents involving two-wheelers between 2019 and 2023, accounting for nearly half of all road fatalities in the country, government data shows, prompting the Centre to intensify measures aimed at improving road safety.
Statistics compiled by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways reveal that of the 7.78 lakh road accident deaths recorded during the five-year period, around 3.35 lakh involved two-wheelers. In 2023 alone, two-wheeler riders accounted for 45 per cent, or 77,539, of total road accident fatalities across India.
The data also highlights widespread non-compliance with safety norms. Nearly 50,000 two-wheeler users who died in road accidents in 2023 were not wearing helmets. In the national capital, two-wheeler riders constituted 38 per cent of all road accident deaths.
The proportion of fatalities involving two-wheelers has risen sharply over the past decade, increasing from 30 per cent of total road deaths in 2014 to 45 per cent in 2023. Officials say the trend reflects the rapid growth of two-wheeler use in both urban and rural areas, coupled with inadequate safety enforcement.
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said the government was working to make roads safer for two-wheeler users through regulatory and legislative interventions.
"The government is working to make roads safer for two-wheelers. It has made the anti-lock braking system (ABS) mandatory for all two-wheelers, including less than 125 cc, manufactured after January 1, 2026," Gadkari maintained.
Earlier, the ABS requirement applied only to motorcycles with engine capacities above 125 cc. The safety feature helps prevent wheel lock-up during sudden braking, improving control and reducing stopping distances, particularly on slippery roads.
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Gadkari said the ministry has also mandated that dealers provide two Bureau of Indian Standards-certified helmets with every two-wheeler sold, in a bid to address low helmet usage.
"We are constantly focusing on road safety. There are several problems in that. We will try again and will come out with a new Road Safety Bill and our endeavour will be to place it before Parliament in the next session itself," he said.
India records nearly five lakh road accidents annually, resulting in about 1.8 lakh deaths every year. According to Gadkari, around 66 per cent of those killed are in the 18–34 age group.
"This is terrible. We are trying hard (to reduce fatalities), but we have not been successful," he said.
Road safety experts have underlined the vulnerability of two-wheeler users. SaveLIFE Foundation founder and chief executive Piyush Tewari said riders lack the protective structure of enclosed vehicles.
"Seventy per cent of the 77,539 two-wheeler fatalities in 2023 were due to non-helmet use, highlighting lax enforcement of safety laws," he said.
Tewari added that overspeeding, which accounted for 68 per cent of all road crash fatalities in 2023, along with wrong-side driving and collisions between two-wheelers, significantly increased risks. Experts and industry representatives have called for stricter enforcement, improved rider training and dedicated infrastructure to stem the rising toll.
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