Indian roads are undoubtedly the most dangerous in the world. In 2015, around 1,46,133 people were killed on Indian roads, states Ministry of Road Transport and Highways data. This translates in to 11 deaths per 100,000 people or one life snuffed out every 3.6 minutes.
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Coming to the deadliest highways of India which has some 726 black spots (a black spot is classified as a location on a national highway that witnesses more than 10 accidents a year) – there were 1,20,518 accidents on state highways while 1,42,268 on national highways in the year 2015, reports the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Research Wing. In these accidents, some 51,204 people lost their lives on national highways and 40,863 people died on the state highways.
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To reduce these alarming figures, the ministry of road and transport has earmarked Rs. 11,000 crore to fix the ‘black spots’ or accident prone areas on the national highways in the coming years. Here is a look at the top five deadliest national highways in India, with most black spots:
#Spot 1 – National Highway 2: Delhi-Kolkata Highway
Running over 1,465 km, NH 2 highway has the most number of black spots – 59. It is the busiest National Highway in India and runs through the states of Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.
#Spot 2 – National Highway 8: Delhi-Mumbai Highway
NH 8 between Delhi and Mumbai comes second in terms of number of black spots – 45. In the same highway, the Delhi-Jaipur stretch is considered to be one of the deadliest highway corridors in the country with an average of 191 deaths annually between 2010 and 2015. As per the National Highway Authority of India, nearly 3,000 road crashes were reported annually during the 2010-2015 period on this 230km stretch.
#Spot 3 – National Highway 44: Nongstoin-Sabroom Highway
It connects India’s north and south and has the 3rd highest number of black spots in India – 38. and has been blamed for the deaths of a disturbing number of south Indian tribal villagers who live alongside it in a village named Peddakunta. According to the locals, most of the male residents have been killed there trying to reach the other side. In the village of 35 families, 37 men have died as of 2015, BBC also reports that, Peddakunta is commonly known as the ‘village of widows.’ Out of the many accidental deaths reported on the highway; the number of deaths from Peddakunta village remains at the top.
#Spot4 – National Highway 4: Thane- Chennai Highway
With the length of 1,235 km, NH 4 has around 27 black spots and has recorded most fatalities in year 2015. The obsession with speed while driving was emerged as the leading cause of fatal accidents here.
#Spot 5 – National Highway 45: Chennai-Theni Highway
Last but not the least, with 24 black spots; National Highway 45 is the 5th dangerous highway in India. According to statistics, as many as 3,143 accidents were recorded in 2013. Some 68 villages are located along the NH-45 and in the absence of any subway or foot over-bridge, it is like a nightmare for the residents to cross the highway at any place and at any point of time.