Pune Police Release Road Safety Report: Fatal Accidents Dip in 2025, but ‘Black Spots’ and Night Traffic Remain Major Concerns

Pune, 8th January 2026: The Pune City Police officially released their comprehensive Road Safety Report and an analysis of crash data for 2024-2025.

The report was unveiled by Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, Joint Commissioner Dr. Ranjan Kumar Sharma, Additional Commissioner Manoj Patil, and DCP (Traffic) Himmat Jadhav at a program in Viman Nagar.

The release comes ahead of National Road Safety Month, which will be observed from January 15 to February 14, 2026, under the theme “Sadak Suraksha – Jeevan Raksha” (Road Safety – Life Protection).

While the data highlights a reduction in fatal accidents, it also reveals a massive crackdown on traffic violators and significant improvements in traffic flow on major corridors. The police have also identified 20 specific “Black Spots” across the city requiring immediate infrastructure and enforcement attention.

Key Statistics: 2024 vs. 2025

The data reveals a positive downward trend in fatalities but a worrying increase in serious injuries.

• Fatalities: Road crash deaths dropped from 341 in 2024 to 290 in 2025 (provisional data).
• Fatal Crashes: The number of fatal accidents decreased from 329 (2024) to 275 (2025).
• Serious Injuries: Conversely, serious injuries rose from 819 in 2024 to 834 in 2025.
• Hit-and-Run: A significant concern remains hit-and-run cases, which accounted for 54% of fatal crashes in 2025 and 48% in 2024.

Top ‘Black Spots’ Identified

Based on the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) definition—a 500m stretch with either 5 road crashes involving fatalities/serious injuries or 10 fatalities over 3 years—the police identified 20 Black Spots.

The top 5 most dangerous spots (2022-2024) include:

1. In front of Hadapsar Police Station, Pune-Solapur Road (30 total fatal/serious crashes).
2. Katraj Chowk, Pune-Satara Road (22 crashes).
3. Near Warje Traffic Police Office/Flyover (20 crashes).
4. Near Kirloskar Pneumatic, Hadapsar MIDC (24 crashes).
5. Perne Phata, Pune-Ahmednagar Road (22 crashes).

The report specifically notes that the Pune-Solapur Highway and Pune-Ahilyanagar (Ahmednagar) Highway combined accounted for 55% of all fatal crashes in 2025.

Most Vulnerable Road Users

The report emphasizes that pedestrians and two-wheeler riders are the most at-risk groups in Pune, comprising 90% of all road crash deaths in 2025.

• Two-Wheelers: 73% of powered two-wheeler deaths were men aged 20-49.
• Pedestrians: The elderly are disproportionately affected. Over 75% of female pedestrian deaths involved women over the age of 50.
• Heavy Vehicles: Heavy vehicles (Trucks, Tempos, Tankers) were involved in a significant number of these deaths, contributing to nearly half of the biker fatalities and one-third of pedestrian deaths.

High-Risk Times and Days

The analysis pinpointed specific times when the roads are deadliest:

• Danger Hours: 37% of fatal crashes in 2025 occurred between 8:00 PM and 3:00 AM, highlighting the need for increased night-time enforcement.
• Danger Days: Weekends are particularly dangerous, with 45% of crashes occurring on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Recommendations and Way Forward

In their conclusion, the police officials outlined several key recommendations to improve safety:

• Infrastructure: Urgent improvements to pedestrian safety (sidewalks, raised crossings), specifically targeting the safety of the elderly.
• Enforcement: Strict implementation of helmet laws and speeding regulations, particularly during evening hours.
• Public Transport: Developing infrastructure that encourages a shift from private vehicles to public transport.

The release of this data marks a crucial step in Pune’s road safety management, moving towards data-driven policing to save lives on the city’s streets.

Traffic Flow Improvements: The ‘Low-Cost’ Strategy

Addressing the chronic congestion that placed Pune as the 4th slowest city in the world in 2023, the police highlighted the success of their “Low-Cost Traffic Management” initiatives launched in 2024.

• Targeted Areas: The police identified 33 main roads covering a length of 265 km.
• Methodology: Using empirical studies and vehicle counts, officials made geometric changes to roads, adjusted signal timings (Signal Synchronization), and closed or opened specific U-turns and right turns to remove bottlenecks.
• Partnerships: The police collaborated with Map My India and Google Green Light for technical support.
• Results: The interventions have led to a 10.44% increase in average traffic speed on main roads and a reported 53% reduction in congestion. The city’s ranking improved from the 4th slowest to the 7th slowest city globally in 2024.

Enforcement Overdrive: The 2025 Crackdown

The press note revealed staggering statistics regarding special enforcement drives. Compared to 2023, the year 2025 saw massive spikes in penalizing dangerous driving behaviors:

Violation Type – Increase in Cases (2023 vs 2025)

No Entry / Wrong Side Driving 1,457%

Drunk Driving 1,075%

Driving on Footpaths 1,005%

Triple Seat Riding 223%

Mobile Talking 261%

In total, Special Drive cases rose by 529%, signaling a zero-tolerance approach to reckless driving.

Accident Statistics: A Mixed Bag

According to the official press note, while enforcement has tightened, the lethal nature of Pune’s roads has seen a slight decline.

• Fatalities: Deaths dropped from 351 (2023) and 345 (2024) to 302 in 2025.
• Total Accidents: The total number of accidents recorded in 2025 was 1,397.
• Vulnerable Groups: Detailed analysis (conducted with Bloomberg Philanthropies) shows that pedestrians and two-wheeler riders continue to make up 90% of all road crash deaths.

Community Engagement and Technology

To involve citizens in traffic management, the police have launched several initiatives:

• Pune Traffic Police (PTP) App: Launched under the guidance of CP Amitesh Kumar, the app allows citizens to report violations directly. It has already garnered nearly 60,000 downloads.
• “Report and Win” Scheme: In collaboration with the Pune Platform for Collaborative Response (PPCR), the police rewarded citizens who actively reported violations. Winners included Amit Seth (1st Prize – Rs 50,000) and Siraj Dokadiya (2nd Prize – Rs 25,000), Amit Sharma (3rd Prize – Rs 15,000), 4th winner (name witheld on request) got Rs 10,000 and Rohit Chavan (5th winner got Rs 5000). Seth had reported 2,661 violations while Chavan had reported 729 violations.
• Social Media Campaigns: A “Traffic Short Reels Competition” was organized to raise awareness, with winners like Krishna Pawar, Omkar Jadhav, Ees Web, Brandberry Business Consultancy and Natyaverse Production being felicitated.

Call to Action

Additional Commissioner Manoj Patil concluded the event by urging citizens to take the “Road Safety Digital Pledge.” Citizens can commit to following traffic rules by scanning a QR code or visiting https://ipledge.punepolice.gov.in/.

The police emphasized that while infrastructure changes and enforcement are working, road safety is ultimately a collective responsibility.