Six Districts of Bihar, Including Patna, Among India’s 100 Most Accident-Prone Areas — A Disturbing Revelation

Patna:
In a worrying revelation, six districts of Bihar, including the state capital Patna, have been identified among the 100 districts in India with the highest number of road accidents. The disclosure was made during a meeting of state transport ministers held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, where Bihar Transport Minister Shravan Kumar presented details of the state’s road safety initiatives.

According to data shared by the Central Government, the Bihar districts included in this high-risk list are Patna, Muzaffarpur, Saran, Motihari, Gaya, and Nalanda. The findings have raised serious concerns about road safety and prompted both the central and state governments to initiate an intensive corrective operation.

‘Zero Fatality’ Target and Government Strategy

In a decisive move, these districts have been declared ‘Zero Fatality Districts’, with the objective of reducing road accident deaths to zero. The Bihar government has prepared a comprehensive action plan, focusing on awareness, infrastructure improvement, and emergency response.

The government aims to curb accidents primarily through large-scale public awareness campaigns, stricter enforcement of traffic rules, and systematic identification of accident-prone zones.

Statewide Awareness Campaign

From January 1 to January 31, 2026, Bihar is conducting an extensive road safety awareness drive across the state. Activities include rallies, marathons, and road safety training programs involving students, drivers, and the general public.

In 2025 alone, the state conducted 484 road safety review meetings, where District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police analyzed accident causes and proposed corrective measures at the ground level.

Reduction of Black Spots

Significant progress has been reported in addressing black spots—locations with a high frequency of accidents. Over the past three years, the number of such dangerous points identified by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Road Construction Department has steadily declined.
Corrective measures such as road widening, installation of signboards, improved lighting, and barricading are being implemented at a rapid pace.

Strengthening Emergency and Health Services

To ensure timely medical assistance to accident victims, the state has strengthened its ambulance and emergency response system.

• Under the 102 emergency service, ambulances now reach accident sites within 20 minutes in urban areas and 30 minutes in rural areas.
• 1,500 government ambulances have already been mapped digitally, and efforts are underway to integrate 2,000 private ambulances into the same system for faster coordination.

Compensation and Assistance Schemes

The Bihar government has also simplified financial assistance and treatment facilities for road accident victims:

• Hit and Run (Death): ₹2 lakh compensation; payments completed in 73% of cases
• Hit and Run (Injury): ₹50,000 assistance; application process ongoing
• Cashless Treatment: Up to ₹1.5 lakh for the first seven days after the accident
• Good Samaritan Scheme: ₹25,000 reward for individuals who help victims during the critical golden hour

A Serious Wake-Up Call

The inclusion of Bihar’s major districts among the country’s most accident-prone areas is being seen as a serious wake-up call. Authorities believe that with sustained awareness, infrastructure upgrades, strict enforcement, and rapid medical response, the ambitious goal of zero road accident fatalities can gradually be achieved.

The success of this mission, however, will depend not only on government action but also on public responsibility and adherence to traffic rules.