COIMBATORE: Although Coimbatore, Madurai and Tiruchy recorded fewer road accidents than Chennai in 2024, highways in these three districts remain far more dangerous, according to the National Crime Records Bureau's 'Crime in India 2024' report released on Wednesday.
The NCRB data shows that while the overall accident count in the three second-tier cities was lower than Chennai's, a stretch-wise comparison of national and state highways tells a different story. NH and SH stretches in Coimbatore, Madurai and Tiruchy reported significantly more accidents than those in Chennai.
Chennai reported 3,762 road accidents in 2024, up marginally from 3,653 in 2023. Coimbatore also saw a slight increase, from 1,161 accidents in 2023 to 1,176 in 2024.
Madurai and Tiruchy, however, showed a decline — Madurai recorded 768 accidents in 2023, which dropped to 645 in 2024. Tiruchy dropped from 645 in 2023 to 563 in 2024.
Across Tamil Nadu, 67,526 road accidents were reported in 2024. A total of 18,449 people were killed and 71,493 were injured.
In 2024, Chennai reported 3,762 accidents with 542 deaths and 3,970 injuries. Coimbatore recorded 1,176 accidents, 296 deaths and 1,052 injuries. Madurai had 645 accidents with 228 deaths and 468 injuries, while Tiruchy reported 563 accidents with 164 deaths and 636 injuries.
When analysed by vehicle type, pedestrian involvement, month and time of day, Chennai tops the list for total accidents among the four cities. But the highway data reverses the trend.
On National Highways (NH), Chennai reported only 28 accidents with 7 deaths and 29 injuries. In contrast, Coimbatore reported 345 accidents with 89 deaths and 302 injuries. Tiruchy recorded 232 accidents with 78 deaths and 232 injuries, while Madurai saw 76 accidents with 36 deaths and 93 injuries.
The pattern holds on state highways. Madurai topped with 357 accidents, 127 deaths and 251 injuries. Coimbatore followed with 302 accidents, 82 deaths and 266 injuries. Chennai reported 82 accidents with 48 deaths and 55 injuries, while Tiruchy had 74 accidents with 22 deaths and 82 injuries.
A senior police officer from Coimbatore district said fatality and accident rates are higher in second-tier cities because national and state highways cut directly through city limits.
"In Chennai, most accident-prone roads are managed by the local body. But in other cities, many city roads fall under NH and SH jurisdiction," the officer said.
He added that emergency medical support is another major issue. "Accident trauma care facilities on SHs and NHs in most cities are lacking compared to Chennai. Improving emergency medical and trauma care across all stretches will help bring down the death rate."