BENGALURU: On an average, 31 people die and 86 sustain injuries in road accidents every day in Karnataka, with 62.68% of these accidents reported on national and state highways in 2025. In January 2026 alone, 1,009 people lost their lives in road accidents. Senior police officers said that overspeeding, negligent behaviour by road users, ongoing highway works and infrastructure issues are major factors behind these accidents reported.
In 2025, 11,408 fatal accidents and 31,751 non-fatal accidents were reported in the state.
In 2024, these numbers were 11,480 and 31,588. Majority of these accidents have occurred on highways.
The statistics also revealed that in 2025, 891 people lost their lives in road accidents in Bengaluru, the highest in the state, followed by Belagavi district at 750 (plus 140 under the commissionerate) and Tumakuru at 689.
A senior officer from Bengaluru Rural district explained that accidents can be controlled through three key measures. The first is engineering — ensuring good infrastructure, including proper lighting, lane markings, foot overbridges and service roads. The second is enforcement by the police. The third is education and awareness campaigns on road safety and responsible driving behaviour.
The police department is now enforcing strict action and educating the public about road safety through various programmes, including campaigns on social media. The officer said the major reasons for highway accidents are overspeeding, negligent driving behaviour and fatigue among heavy vehicle drivers.
He also noted that strict measures are needed, including regular patrolling and booking of offenders for violations on highways, like lane discipline and over-speeding.
Overspeeding, poor infrastructure are behind the rising highway accidents, police said. An officer from Hassan said there are two major reasons behind accidents: infrastructure issues and faulty driving behaviour. If road users follow traffic rules, such as wearing helmets and seat belts,
fatalities can be reduced and accidents can be prevented from turning fatal. Speeding and drunk driving are major mistakes committed by riders and drivers.
In Hassan, infrastructure issues, like unscientific speed-breakers, sharp curves and problematic medians were identified by the respective sub-division DySPs and brought to the notice of officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in cases of national highways and the Public Works Department (PWD) for state highways. The officer noted that lack of reflective road markings and overgrown bushes along roadsides are impeding road users.
Tumakuru SP KV Ashok told TNIE that most highways in Tumakuru are under construction, and several stretches have poor lighting, affecting road users. The police have taken up special drives and cases against speeding have doubled in 2025 compared to the previous year. Another officer said that most highways in the district lack service lanes, affecting long-distance drivers, especially as many stretches remain under construction.
A senior officer from Bengaluru City traffic police said the rise in road accidents within the city can be attributed to the rapid increase in population and vehicular density. He noted that the growing number of vehicles on city roads, coupled with higher traffic volume, has significantly contributed to congestion and a higher risk of accidents.
19-year-old killed as canter hits bike
Bengaluru: A 19-year-old youth, who was heading to a hospital to deliver food to his ailing father, died after a speeding canter being driven in the wrong direction on a one-way road hit his two-wheeler near Dhananayakanahalli Main Road under Jnanabharathi traffic police station limits on Saturday night. The deceased has been identified as Muniyappa, a resident of Dhananayakanahalli.
He was employed at a bike showroom in Kengeri. According to the police, the accident occurred around 9.45pm when Muniyappa was on his way to deliver food to his father, who is admitted to a hospital. He sustained severe head injuries when a canter truck, allegedly being driven at high speed in the wrong direction, hit his bike. The passersby rushed him to a hospital, but he succumbed to the injuries despite treatment. The driver of the truck abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene, police said.