Pedestrian deaths on National Highways rise 43% in five years; Tamil Nadu tops 2024 deaths

4 min readChandigarhJul 31, 2026 05:44 PM IST Nearly one in every 16 people killed in road accidents in the country last year was a pedestrian on a National Highway.(Image generated using AI) More than 11,000 pedestrians were killed on National Highways across India in 2024, with the death toll rising by over 43 per cent in five years, according to data tabled in Parliament in response to a question by Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari. The latest figures show 11,386 pedestrian fatalities in 2024, up from 7,930 in 2020, underlining the growing vulnerability of pedestrians despite the Centre’s assertion that pedestrian infrastructure is being integrated into highway projects.Overall, nearly one in every 16 people killed in road accidents in the country last year was a pedestrian on a National Hig