Nagpur: Road accidents have claimed at least 42 lives every day in Maharashtra in the first eight months of 2026. The average daily toll has increased steadily over the years, from about 37 in 2021 to nearly 44 in 2025. As per the state-level road accident data, 10,286 people were killed from Jan to Aug this year.Overall, the state has recorded 86,149 fatalities in 1.95 lakh road accidents between Jan 2021 and Aug 2026. In 2021, the state witnessed 29,477 accidents and 13,528 deaths, followed by 33,383 accidents and 15,224 deaths in 2022, 35,243 accidents and 15,366 deaths in 2023, 36,118 accidents and 15,715 deaths in 2024, and 36,766 accidents and 16,030 deaths in 2025.The number of injured also increased from 23,071 in 2021 to 32,873 in 2025.In Jan-Aug 2026, the state recorded 24,193 road accidents, 10,286 fatalities and 21,649 injuries. The corresponding period of 2025 saw 24,526 accidents, 10,859 fatalities and 21,768 injuries.In terms of absolute fatalities, Pune Rural recorded the highest toll at 654 till Aug, followed by Nashik Rural with 607, Ahilyanagar with 531 and Solapur Rural with 479.Among cities, Nagpur recorded a 27% decline in fatalities till Aug 2026, the second-highest reduction in the state after Akola, which recorded a 28% decline. Nagpur reported 156 deaths during the period.In contrast, Amravati city recorded the highest increase in fatalities at 43%. As many as 73 people were killed in road accidents in Amravati till Aug 2026, compared with 51 during the corresponding period last year.Among other major cities, Mumbai city recorded 229 fatalities, followed by Pune (214), Navi Mumbai (187), Thane (175) and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (140).The data also points to a sustained increase in the severity of the road safety problem over the period. The number of seriously and minorly injured persons combined rose from 23,071 in 2021 to 32,873 in 2025, an increase of nearly 42%.Box:
