Assam's Road Safety Crisis: Daily Fatalities Highlight Urgent Need for Action
Alarming Road Safety Statistics in Assam
A screengrab image of an accident site (Source : X)
Guwahati, April 29: Recent statistics indicate that Assam experiences over 11 road fatalities daily, with pedestrians accounting for one in five deaths, according to official reports.
In the first quarter of 2026, nine districts—Guwahati City, Kamrup, Nagaon, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur, Golaghat, Barpeta, Dhubri, and Hojai—were responsible for nearly half of the total fatalities.
This data was presented during a state-level road safety review meeting led by Chief Secretary Dr. Ravi Kota, which aimed to evaluate the road safety situation across all 35 districts for the January to March 2026 period.
From January to March 2026, Assam recorded 4,219 road accidents and 1,008 deaths, a slight decrease from 4,232 accidents and 1,035 fatalities during the same period in 2025.
While the accident numbers remained stable, several districts, including Sonitpur, Nagaon, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, and Biswanath, saw a notable decline in fatalities year-on-year, attributed to targeted interventions and consistent enforcement efforts.
Despite the overall stability in accident numbers, the Chief Secretary pointed out that the year-on-year reduction in fatalities was only 2.6%, suggesting that the severity of crashes remains a significant concern. Assam's severity index stands at 0.24, which is better than the national average of approximately 0.36, but still worse than states like Kerala (0.10) and Tamil Nadu (0.13).
In response to the rising incidents in specific districts, the Chief Secretary mandated that after each accident, the District Commissioner and Superintendent of Police must conduct a thorough review as part of the District Road Safety Committee (DRSC) and implement immediate corrective actions.
These actions include addressing hazardous locations, installing proper signage, launching public awareness campaigns, and enhancing enforcement measures. The Chief Secretary emphasized that every life lost is unacceptable and issued a series of time-sensitive directives focusing on pedestrian safety, road design, appropriate signage, behavioral changes, and enforcement.
The Transport Department has been tasked with researching best practices from other states to expedite the development of regulations aimed at protecting pedestrians and other vulnerable road users in Assam.
Additionally, the NHAI, NHIDCL, and PWD (NH) have been instructed to proactively address accident-prone areas, prioritizing road widening, improved junction designs, and rectifying hazardous spots.
The Director General of Police has been asked to ensure that road safety is a key agenda item in monthly review meetings, with SSPs addressing local enforcement challenges, including helmet use, breathalyzer tests for drunk driving, speed regulation, and unauthorized parking.