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According to data shared by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) in the Lok Sabha 9, 438 lost their lives in India between 2020 and 2024, due to potholes.  From the data for 2020, 1,555 people lost their lives due to pothole-related accidents. The matter of concern is that instead of declining with advancements in road construction technology and infrastructure investments, the number of road accidents has increased sharply. By 2024, annual fatalities had surged to 2,385 — marking an increase of over 53 per cent in just five years. What is more concerning is that rather than improving, the situation appears to be worsening.

 

 

While comparing the number of accidents taking place in different states across the country, a surprising element which comes in front is that in Uttar Pradesh alone, the number of people losing their lives was 5,127 from potholes. This means more than 54 percent of all pothole-related fatalities in India occurred in just one state. The volume raises serious concerns about road construction quality, monitoring mechanisms, and maintenance practices across Uttar Pradesh’s vast road network.

 

Other states reporting significant fatalities include:

 

·         Madhya Pradesh – 969 deaths

 

·         Tamil Nadu – 612 deaths

 

·         Odisha – 425 deaths

 

·         Punjab – 414 deaths

 

Interestingly, while Uttar Pradesh leads in fatalities, states like Kerala and Karnataka reported disproportionately high numbers of grievous injuries rather than deaths. Kerala recorded over 3,000 serious injuries, and Karnataka reported more than 2,700. This suggests that while victims in these states may survive crashes, many are left with severe, life-altering trauma.

 

 

 

Even more surprising are reports from certain major states. According to official data, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, and Goa recorded “zero” pothole-related deaths or accidents during this period.

 

For people travelling frequently in these regions, these results are hard to believe. The discrepancy points toward potential gaps in accident reporting and classification. If a pothole is not specifically mentioned as the cause of an accident in the First Information Report (FIR), the case does not get categorised under pothole-related incidents in the central database.

 

This means many accidents might be recorded under “driver negligence” or “overspeeding,” potentially underestimating the true scale of the problem. The actual toll could be significantly higher than the reported 9,438 deaths.

 

 

The issue of pothole deaths has previously drawn judicial attention. In 2018, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the matter, noting that more people were dying due to potholes than in terror attacks. The court directed authorities to take urgent corrective measures.

 

In October 2025, the Bombay High Court delivered a landmark judgment by imposing “strict liability” on civic bodies for pothole-related deaths. The ruling mandates:

 

·         Rs 6 lakh compensation for every fatality

 

·         Up to Rs 2.5 lakh compensation for injuries

 

Importantly, this judgment removes the usual defences such as “act of God” or contractor negligence, making municipal corporations directly accountable for road safety failures.

 

 

Seven years after the Supreme Court’s warning, the numbers tell a troubling story. Instead of declining, fatalities have increased significantly. The rise from 1,555 deaths in 2020 to nearly 2,400 in 2024 underscores a systemic issue in maintenance, monitoring, and accountability.

 

For everyday commuters, the reality is stark — the road itself can be a hazard. Until structural reforms, stricter enforcement, and better reporting mechanisms are implemented, potholes will continue to pose a deadly threat.

 

India’s road safety challenge is not just about driver behavior — it is about infrastructure quality. And that battle is far from won.