By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 29: Meghalaya has witnessed fluctuating road accident trends over the past five years, with the number of accidents and fatalities revealing critical insights into road safety in the state. According to recent data from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, a total of 1,586 road accidents were recorded in Meghalaya between 2018 and 2022, resulting in the loss of 854 lives and injuries to 1,220 people.
In 2018, Meghalaya recorded 399 road accidents, which accounted for 25.16% of the total accidents in the five-year period. This number peaked in 2019 at 482, marking an increase of 20.8% from the previous year. However, the following years saw a significant dip, with 214 accidents in 2020 (a 55.6% drop from 2019) and a slight rise to 245 in 2021 and 246 in 2022.
The state’s road accident fatality rate followed a somewhat different trajectory.
In 2018, 182 people lost their lives in road mishaps, making up 21.3% of the five-year total fatalities. The number marginally declined to 179 in 2019 (-1.64%), before dropping further to 144 in 2020 (-19.55%).
However, 2021 saw a sharp increase in fatalities, with 187 deaths — a 29.86% rise from the previous year. The year 2022 witnessed a reduction, with 162 fatalities, reflecting a 13.37% decrease from 2021.
A total of 1,220 people suffered injuries in road accidents in Meghalaya from 2018 to 2022. While 2018 saw 205 injuries, the number slightly increased to 222 in 2019.
Despite these figures, Meghalaya has one of the lowest road accident fatality rates in India. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report for 2022, the state ranks among the three lowest in road accident deaths, just below Nagaland and Mizoram. In contrast, Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of road accident fatalities in the country, exceeding 21,000, followed by Tamil Nadu with over 18,000 deaths and Maharashtra with 14,999 fatalities.
