Stakeholders seek revision of Tamil Nadu road safety policy

Stakeholders at a road safety conference in Tiruchi on Sunday called for an immediate revision of the Tamil Nadu Road Safety Policy, which was framed in 2007 and has not been updated despite the changing nature of road crashes and emerging road safety concerns.

The demand assumes significance as Tamil Nadu has recorded the highest number of road crashes in the country for seven consecutive years and ranks second in road fatalities after Uttar Pradesh, according to a study by the Civic Action Group (CAG). The findings were shared at the conference jointly organised by the CAG and the Tamil Nadu Consumer Federation in Tiruchi on Sunday.

The State recorded 67,526 road crashes and 18,441 fatalities in 2024, the study said. In Tiruchi, about 2,426 road crashes and 720 fatalities were reported in 2023.

Around 18 road corridors in and around Tiruchi had been identified as accident-prone hotspots. Pudukottai Road, Thanjavur Road, West Boulevard Road, Cauvery Bridge, Tiruchi-Chennai National Highway, Tiruchi-Karur NH and Tiruchi-Dindigul NH are among them.

Road crashes were found to occur mostly between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Two-wheeler users accounted for 46.2% of those affected in crashes while pedestrians accounted for 20.6%. People in the 18-60 age group accounted for 83.3% of those affected. The study pointed to the high number of children killed in road crashes, with about 10,116 child fatalities reported in 2024.

Wrong side driving and speeding were identified as major causes of road crashes. The CAG recommended that authorities provide adequate road signage, speed breakers and rumble strips and provide footpaths at locations where they were required.

Participating in the conference, Tiruchi MP Durai Vaiko said around 37,000 road crashes and 9,400 fatalities had been reported in Tamil Nadu between January and June 2026. During the same period, Tiruchi had recorded around 1,000 road crashes and 360 fatalities, he said.

Mr. Durai Vaiko said steps would be taken to upgrade the State’s road safety policy. He said the proposed rotary at G Corner was in the tendering process and was expected to be taken up within a month.

Representatives of the city police, traffic police, Highways Department, road safety activists, doctors and welfare associations participated in the conference.