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Car accidents in India

Team AckoApr 19, 2024

With more than 62 lakh kilometres of roadways crisscrossing various parts of the country, India has the second-largest road network in the world. This massive network contributes to the country’s socioeconomic growth and development. While Indian roads are essential, they have also been a bane for users, as India tops the list regarding the number of road accidents in the world. Read on to learn about road accidents in India and how car insurance can be vital in mitigating associated financial burdens.

Contents

Car accidents in India: Key statistics, the importance of insurance and overview of the claims process
Car insurance as financial protection against car accidents in India
- How to buy a car insurance policy from ACKO
- Documents required to submit a car insurance claim at ACKO
Frequently asked questions:

Car accidents in India: Key statistics, the importance of insurance and overview of the claims process

Lack of proper signage, poorly designed roads, and poor traffic discipline have made Indian roads vulnerable to accidents, sometimes leading to loss of lives. As per the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Authority of India (MoRTH), a total of 3,66,138 road accidents were reported in 2020. Of these, 1,31,714 persons have lost their lives to road accidents. The most alarming data is that the most impacted age group in road accidents in India is 18 to 45 years, accounting for more than 70% of the total accidental deaths in India.

Read on to learn about data on car accidents in India from 2018 to 2020 and how car insurance can cover your financial losses due to damages.

Road accidents in India 2018

Here is detailed information in a tabular format about road accidents in India, including the number of accidents, injuries due to road accidents and the number of persons killed during 2018.

Category of roads	Length as on 31 March 2017	Accidents	% share in total
National highways	1,14,158 kms	1,40,843	30.2%
State highways	1,75,036 kms	1,17,570	25.2%
Other roads	56,08,477 kms	2,08,631	45%

Car accidents

Vehicle type	2017 No. of accidents	2018 No. of accidents	Change in 2018 over 2017 (%)
Car/jeep/van/taxi	1,13,490	30,811	-0.2%

Road accidents by type of collision

Type of collision	2017 No. of accidents	2018 No. of accidents	Change in 2018 over 2017 (%)
Hit and run	65,186	69,822	7.1%
With parked vehicle	7,104	13,565	90.9%
Hit from back	77,540	88,765	14.5%
Hit from side	42,675	58,774	37.7%
Run of road	13,209	19,319	46.3%
Fixed object	12,085	13,924	15.2%
Vehicle overturn	30,037	25,619	-14.7%
Head on collision	87,068	97,816	12.3%
Others	1,30,006	79,440	0.46%

Key observations of road accidents in 2018

“Other roads”, with a share of 45%, accounted for the maximum number of road accidents in 2018.
Parked vehicles reported an increase of 90.9% in accidents compared to the previous year.
Hit from back and side incidents contributed to the increase in accidents, with an incline of 52.2% compared to the previous year.
Head-on collision accidents increased by 12.3% compared to 2017.

Road accidents in India 2019

This section lists the road accidents in India recorded in 2019 in a tabular format, including the number of accidents, percentage change and the type of vehicle accidents recorded in the year.

Category of roads	Length as on 31 March 2018	Accidents	% share in total
National highways	1,26,350 kms	1,37,191	30.6%
State highways	1,86,908 kms	1,08,976	24.3%
Other roads	59,00,858 kms	2,02,835	45%

Car accidents

Vehicle type	2018 No. of accidents	2019 No. of accidents	Change in 2019 over 2018 (%)
Car/jeep/van/taxi	30,811	92,196	33.41%

Road accidents by type of collision

Type of collision	2018 No. of accidents	2019 No. of accidents	Change in 2019 over 2018 (%)
Hit and run	69,822	69,621	-0.3%
With parked vehicle	13,565	13,317	-1.8%
Hit from back	88,765	89,923	1.3%
Hit from side	58,774	57,987	-1.3%
Run of road	19,319	19,055	-1.4%
Fixed object	13,924	14,507	4.2%
Vehicle overturn	25,619	23,314	-9.0%
Head on collision	97,816	87,452	-10.2%
Others	79,440	73,826	-0.2%

Key observations of road accidents in 2019

Accidents related to fixed objects accounted for a 4.2% increase compared to the previous year.
Car accidents in 2019 rose remarkably by 33.41% compared to last year.
Head-on collisions reduced significantly by 10.2% compared to 2018.
"Other roads", with a share of 45%, accounted for the maximum number of road accidents in 2019.
A slight increase in the "hit from back" type of collision accounts for a rise of 1.3% compared to the previous year.

Road accidents in India 2020

This section lists the road accidents in India recorded in 2020 in a tabular format, including the total number of accidents, percentage change and the type of vehicle accidents recorded in the year.

Category of roads	Length as on 31 March 2019	Accidents	% share in total
National highways	1,26,350 kms	1,16,496	31.8%
State highways	1,86,908 kms	90,755	24.8%
Other roads	59,00,858 kms	1,58,887	43.4%

Car accidents

Vehicle type	2019 No. of accidents	2020 No. of accidents	Change in 2020 over 2019 (%)
Car/jeep/van/taxi	92,196	60,986	-33.9%

Road accidents by type of collision

Type of collision	2019 No. of accidents	2020 No. of accidents	Change in 2020 over 2019 (%)
Hit and run	69,621	52,448	-24.7%
With parked vehicle	13,317	11,096	-16.7%
Hit from back	89,923	73,039	-18.8%
Hit from side	57,987	48,010	-17.2%
Run of road	19,055	18,210	-4.4
Fixed object	14,507	12,882	-11.2
Vehicle overturn	23,314	19,211	-17.6
Head on collision	87,452	73,743	-15.7
Others	73,826	57,499	-22.1

Key observations of road accidents in 2020

“Other roads”, with a share of 43.4%, saw a decline in accidents compared to the previous year. However, there is a slight uptick in national and state highway accidents.
There is a significant decline in the number of accidents related to hit-and-run cases witnessing a drop of 24.7% compared to 2019.
Car accidents in 2020 declined by 33.9% compared to the previous year.

Car insurance as financial protection against car accidents in India

The road network in India is growing at a rapid pace. Similarly, the vehicle population in the country is also on the rise. With an increasing number of vehicles on the road, accident-related damages, small or big, are a probability. Therefore, insure your car and stay protected against unforeseen financial losses.

Here are some of the crucial advantages of Comprehensive Car Insurance.

It covers damages to your car
It provides legal and financial protection against third-party liabilities
It provides coverage against vehicle theft
It provides coverage against damages due to floods, earthquakes, riots, vandalism, etc.
It provides the option to include add-on covers for additional benefit

How to buy a car insurance policy from ACKO

Buying car insurance from ACKO is a simple and quick process. Simply visit our website or download our mobile app to purchase car insurance online. Here are the steps.

Step 1: Visit our website or mobile app.
Step 2: Enter your car details and select a suitable policy as per your needs.
Step 3: Pay the premium online and get your car insured instantly.

Documents required to submit a car insurance claim at ACKO

Traditional insurers might ask you to submit multiple documents along with a claim form. However, that is not needed when you buy insurance from ACKO. We are a digital-first insurance company; hence, most of our processes are entirely paperless. During claims, you just need to upload soft copies of the documents. Here are the details.

Registration certificate of the vehicle
Driving Licence of the driver
Policy document
Photos of the damaged vehicle
First Information Report (FIR) if required

Frequently asked questions:

Here are the answers to some of the common questions about car accidents in India and how car insurance is important during road accidents.

Can I raise a claim without an FIR?

Whether you can raise a claim without an FIR depends upon the type of claim. For instance, FIR is a mandatory document for raising claims in case of road accidents leading to bodily injury (or death) of a third party. It is also a mandatory requirement if your car is stolen. However, it may not be required for minor damages.

Can I claim insurance if I damage my car?

You can raise a claim for damages to your car if you have purchased the Own Damage cover or Comprehensive Insurance.

When should I register the claim after an accident?

It is vital that you inform your insurer immediately after the accident. Begin the process of registering your claim as soon as possible to avoid the possibility of rejection of your claim.

Disclaimer: The content on this page is generic and shared only for informational and explanatory purposes. It is based on industry experience and several secondary sources on the internet, and is subject to changes. Please go through the applicable policy wordings for updated ACKO-centric content, and before making any insurance-related decisions.

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