Highway Police Report: Two-Wheelers, Pedestrians Dominate Pune Region Road Deaths in 2024
Pune, 20th January 2025: Despite a decrease in overall accidents, road fatalities in the Pune region remained high in 2024, with 1,035 lives lost on highways and state roads. This marks a slight improvement from the 1,191 deaths recorded in 2023, according to data released by the Highway Police.
Vikrant Deshmukh, Superintendent of Police for Highways in the Pune region, reported that the area covers 6,900 kilometres of roads, including 19 national highways and 52 state highways. Major routes like the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, and highways connecting Pune to Bangalore, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Solapur are part of this network.
Key statistics for 2024:
– Total accidents: 1,854 (down from 2,071 in 2023)
– Fatalities: 1,035 (down from 1,191 in 2023)
– Injuries: 2,098 (down from 2,242 in 2023)
Two-wheeler riders and pedestrians accounted for 65-70% of the fatalities. The police are intensifying efforts to curb violations such as riding without helmets, drunk driving, lane cutting, and speeding.
Deshmukh stressed the importance of safe and cautious driving, especially on major highways connecting Pune to other cities. The police are also conducting awareness programs to educate drivers about traffic rules and safe driving practices.
