Delhi’s highways account for nearly one in five road deaths

National highways and expressways comprise only a small fraction of Delhi’s road network but account for a disproportionately high number of traffic deaths.

According to a July 3, 2026 report in Hindustan Times, based on Delhi Traffic Police data, eight national highways and expressways recorded 288 of the Capital’s 1,617 road fatalities in 2025. These corridors accounted for around 18% of all traffic deaths in the city.

Delhi recorded 5,689 fatal and non-fatal road crashes in 2025, of which 708 occurred on national highways and expressways. However, according to the electronic-Detailed Accident Report (e-DAR) Project, the total number of accidents are higher than reported by the police. E-DAR data states that the national capital had recorded a total of 5,994 accidents in 2025, till July 27 (from January 1), with 1,463 fatalities and 6,517 injured. On the other hand, in 2026, during the same period, the total number of accidents have been pegged at 6,875, with 810 deaths and 4,508 injured.

The pattern persisted between 2021 and 2025. During this period, the eight high-speed corridors passing through Delhi witnessed 3,427 crashes, which claimed 1,161 lives. The rest of the city’s road network recorded 24,125 crashes and 6,164 deaths.

Delhi’s road network stretches nearly 32,000 km when interior roads are included. National highways and expressways maintained by different agencies account for only around 167 km, or approximately 0.52% of the total road length.

According to the NHAI, Delhi has 13 national highways (NHs) passing through it, more than any other union territory. They include NH-44, which connects North Delhi with Sonipat; NH-48, linking Delhi with Gurugram and Jaipur; NH-2, connecting the city with Faridabad and Agra; NH-9, linking east Delhi with Ghaziabad; NH-10, connecting west Delhi with Bahadurgarh and Rohtak; and the Delhi-Ghaziabad route that runs through the Apsara Border, earlier referred to as NH-58.

Newer additions include the Dwarka Expressway and Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II), also known as Delhi’s Third Ring Road. Both were planned to ease congestion on arterial roads and improve regional connectivity.

Black spots across the Capital

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has identified 23 black spots, or accident-prone locations, on Delhi’s national highways. This is the second-highest number among union territories.

The government defines black spots as “locations where a certain number of accidents involving fatalities and grievous injuries occur”.

The highest number of black spots have been identified in the Outer North district (8), followed by South East (5), Outer (4), South West (4), and East (2).

GT Karnal Road remains the deadliest

NH-44, or GT Karnal Road, was the deadliest of Delhi’s high-speed corridors in 2025. The highway recorded 213 crashes, in which 101 people were killed and 180 injured. It had recorded 77 deaths in 2024 and 82 in 2023.

“Movement of heavy vehicles such as trucks and buses, especially during night hours, wider carriageways, high speeds, illegal road crossings due to inadequate underpasses and foot overbridges, and high traffic density are the key reasons for the large number of crashes on the Delhi stretch of NH-44,” a senior traffic police officer said.

Near the Bhalswa landfill, NH-44 carries both inter-state and local traffic. Roadside vendors occupy parts of the pavement, while e-rickshaws, two-wheelers and small goods carriers crowd the road. Commuters said wrong-side driving becomes more prevalent after dark.

“The fact is that these roads are essentially meant for high-speed travel. At night, it becomes easier to use them as intended, but even then, you see a lot of two-wheelers, autorickshaws and e-rickshaws on these roads, which leads to a very bumpy ride,” said Bhalswa Dairy resident Shiv Pal.

Commuters also pointed to shared autorickshaws carrying people between Haryana and Delhi. Drivers frequently stop on the highway to pick up and drop off passengers.

“Much of the issue is that, technically, the government should take responsibility for creating jobs or, if not that, at least provide proper means of transport to residents who go to other states for work,” said Manish Kumar, who works at a resort near the highway.

“These autos stop wherever they please along a high-speed corridor. Emergency lanes have also been taken over by vendors; this has essentially narrowed the road stretch,” he added.

Delhi-Rohtak Road

NH-10, which connects Delhi with Rohtak, recorded the second-highest toll among the eight corridors, with 145 crashes claiming 65 lives and leaving 111 people injured in 2025.

Along parts of the Delhi-Rohtak Road, a relatively narrow road widens into a multilane national highway. Private contractors, hotels and commercial establishments have encroached on sections of the service lanes. Heavy traffic frequently turns the stretch into a bottleneck.

“We have tried to ask the authorities to resolve the situation, but there is not much that can be done, according to them,” said Hari Sharma, a resident of Rani Khera, has been asking his residents’ welfare association to approach the civic authorities.

“At present, the flyover itself is also becoming clogged with traffic. Technically, what was meant to solve the bottleneck problem has turned into a reason for bottlenecks,” he said.

Delhi-Gurugram Road

NH-48, the Delhi-Gurugram corridor, recorded 31 deaths in 86 crashes in 2025. Mathura Road, recorded 33 deaths in 98 crashes.

Upgrade work being undertaken by the NHAI near Dhaula Kuan has reduced the available carriageway along parts of NH-48. Traffic on a four-lane stretch is funnelled into two lanes, with motorcyclists attempting to manoeuvre through narrow gaps between vehicles.

Vehicles are also frequently parked along the roadside in no-parking zones, while wrong-side driving remains a concern.

“People keep doing this despite multiple warnings. This also comes down to a lack of enforcement,” said taxi driver Satyam.

“Along this entire stretch to the Gurugram border, there are barely any traffic police personnel, which makes people more daring, so to speak,” he added.

Near Ambience Mall at the Gurugram border, motorists travelling towards Gurugram must move into a separate lane on the left. Satyam said some motorists miss the turn and reverse on the highway.

“They just stop midway and start reversing their cars, forgetting that it is a national highway and things can turn dangerous at any time,” he said.

Risks along newer expressways

Safety concerns have also emerged along Delhi’s newer expressways. UER-II passes villages in north-west Delhi where residents have long used local roads and crossings for everyday travel. The starting point of the expressway cuts across a road that has seen common thoroughfare all throughout, however, UER-II has also opened the space for more diverse traffic.

E-rickshaws and private vehicles are common along the route. Dairy farmers also use crossings to move cattle across the road.

“We can’t really help it. We will have to use this route to get our cattle across when they need to graze. We were not taken into consideration when they built the road,” said Kanjhawala village resident Praveen Yadav.

“We are in consultation with civic agencies to bring about a proper permanent solution to the issue that we are facing with enforcement in this area,” said Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Manish Kumar Agarwal, had said.

“The problem is that it’s a highway, so that means that no actual enforcement can be done for running traffic, and it’s through infrastructural development that accidents can be avoided here,” he added.

Rectifying black spots

According to a reply in the Parliament, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has allocated Rs 256 crore for the maintenance and rectification of black spots in Delhi and has spent Rs 248 crore.

The ministry said rectifying black spots was a continuous process. Short-term measures include road markings, signs, crash barriers, road studs, delineators, closing unauthorised median openings, traffic-calming measures and highway lighting.

Long-term measures include improving road geometry and junctions, widening carriageways at accident-prone locations and constructing underpasses and overpasses, depending on the requirements of each site.

“Long-term rectification works involve pre-construction activities such as land acquisition, forest clearance and utility shifting, which take significant time,” the ministry said.

It added that no separate allocation was made specifically for such rectification work.