Pattern of road traffic fatalities in India: a case study of Chhattisgarh State.

Abstract

India does not have a national crash-level surveillance system. Instead, police stations report crashes in standardized tables that are summarized at the state level. Since tabulations provide limited insights into crash patterns, we developed a crash database from police First Information Reports (FIRs) on all (n = 11,175) fatalities in Chhattisgarh during 2017-2019. The data show that not only were motorcycle riders the most common victims (59% of fatalities), but they also posed a substantial threat to other road users. Motorcycle impacts caused 16% of all fatalities (37% of pedestrians). Although truck occupants comprised only 5% of fatalities, trucks were the most common striking vehicle. Remarkably, 94% of tractor occupants were killed in single-vehicle crashes, and more than were rollovers. The FIR database provides a richer description of crashes than tabulations and an important information source for safety management. India and other LMICs will benefit substantially by investing in crash surveillance systems.