Bengaluru sees sharp rise in pedestrian deaths
Bengaluru
Bengaluru recorded 292 pedestrian deaths in 2023, the highest among 53 major Indian cities, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). These deaths made up nearly 9.5% of all pedestrian fatalities in these cities, highlighting growing concerns about road safety in the city.
Traffic police say this rise is due to several factors, including Bengaluru’s fast-growing population, poor lane discipline by drivers, weak road infrastructure, and many accident-prone spots. Ahmedabad and Jaipur followed Bengaluru with 236 and 201 pedestrian deaths, respectively.
At the state level, Karnataka had 2,386 pedestrian deaths in 2023, ranking third among all states after Tamil Nadu and Bihar.
A senior traffic officer explained that many footpaths in Bengaluru are either blocked or filled with garbage. This forces pedestrians to walk on busy roads, putting them at risk. He also mentioned that some pedestrians got seriously hurt due to motorcyclists doing illegal stunts and later died from their injuries.
Though traffic police identified some dangerous spots in 2024, the effort was limited and did not cover the whole city. Busy commercial areas like Chikpete, Kamakshipalya, and J.C. Road lack proper pedestrian crossings, making them especially unsafe.
Officials suggest Bengaluru should follow examples from other cities where post-accident studies help improve road design and safety. They stress that better cooperation is needed among government bodies, police, doctors, and citizens to improve pedestrian safety. Policy changes are also needed to fill current gaps and reduce the number of deaths.
The alarming rise in pedestrian deaths calls for urgent action to protect those who walk on Bengaluru’s streets every day.