New Delhi, A total of 17,47,094 road accidents were reported in the country between 2017-2020, a data shows.
The data issued by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, in a written reply to Lok Sabha was in response to a question related to road accidents in the country.
As per the data, 4,64,910 road accidents were reported in the year 2017, while in the next year 4,67,044.
A total of 4,49,002 road accidents were reported in 2019.
According to the data, 2020, witnessed least road accidents among the years mentioned in the report as the country went into a lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandaemic. The 2020 number stood at 3,66,138.
"The major causes of accidents on the National Highways (NHs) are vehicle design and condition, road engineering, over-speeding, drunken driving/ consumption of alcohol and drugs, driving on wrong side, jumping red light and use of mobile phone, etc," Gadkari said.
The Ministry has formulated a multi-pronged strategy to address the issue of road safety based on education, engineering (both of roads and vehicles), enforcement and emergency care and various initiatives have been taken, he said.