Deadliest roads in Kerala? Kochi logs state's highest surge in accident deaths

Kochi: The roads in the state's commercial capital have turned deadlier than ever, with the city recording Kerala’s highest surge in road accident deaths in 2023, even as most other major cities reported declines. 

Fatalities in Kochi jumped 13.5 per cent — from 156 lives lost in 2022 to 177 in 2023 — according to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ report Road Accidents in India 2023. Meanwhile, Malappuram (–3.4 per cent), Kollam (–1.4 per cent), Kozhikode (-11.79 per cent) and Kannur (–21.5 per cent) recorded declines in fatalities. 

Also, when most other major cities in the state either plateaued or improved in at least one area – accidents, deaths and injured persons – Kochi recorded double-digit increases across the board, making Kochi the state’s most alarming outlier in road safety and raising questions about enforcement in the city. 

Kochi reported 2,803 accidents last year, up 15.3% from 2,432 in 2022 — the second-sharpest rise among Kerala’s million-plus cities, behind Thiruvananthapuram (21.3 per cent). In absolute accident numbers, Kochi ranked second in the state, behind only Malappuram (3,253). 

Injuries too spiked by 18.1 per cent to 2,788, the second-highest increase in Kerala, underscoring how the city’s worsening road safety has taken a heavy toll across all parameters. However, Kochi’s death tally ranked fourth out of seven cities in Kerala despite the highest surge in one year.

The number of persons injured in Kochi also rose 18.1 per cent, from 2,361 to  2,788 — the second-highest increase after Thiruvananthapuram (21.7 per cent). In absolute numbers, Kochi ranked third in injuries, behind Malappuram (3,801) and Thrissur (3,029). Thrissur also showed an increase in all three metrics between 2022 and 2023, but Kochi showed a much steeper rise. 

In contrast, Malappuram, despite topping the state with 3,253 accidents, saw a more modest increase of 8.8% in terms of injured persons. Crucially, its fatalities fell from 320 to 309 (–3.4%), even though it remained the deadliest city in Kerala. 

A closer look: Where Kochi falters 
Beyond headline totals, the break-up of causes and locations reveals why Kochi’s spike is particularly concerning.

Speeding: Kochi recorded 1,721 cases linked to speeding, ranking 11th nationally among million-plus cities. It also logged 117 deaths due to speeding, placing it well above most Kerala peers except Malappuram (200) and Thrissur (143).

Junction crashes: The city reported 279 accidents at T-junctions; ranked 10th nationally, along with 168 crashes at four-arm junctions. With 16 deaths at junctions, Kochi’s rank is higher than Kozhikode (13), Malappuram (13), Thrissur (9), Kannur (13), and Thiruvananthapuram (14), but lower than Kollam (19).

Road features: Kochi also topped the state in accidents on bridges, with 54 cases and four deaths, reflecting its unique geography where flyovers, bridges, and elevated roads are part of daily commuting.

Kochi leads the state in bicycle-related accidents in 2023 with 95 crashes, 6 deaths and 89 injured persons,  making it Kerala’s riskiest city for cyclists, followed by Thrissur – 67 accidents, 5 deaths and 62 injured persons. 

Interestingly, despite pothole-ridden roads regularly making headlines in Kochi, the city reported no accidents or deaths attributed to potholes in 2023. When it comes to bus accidents, Malappuram leads with 148 accidents and 217 injured persons, followed by Kochi –134 accidents, 2 deaths and 71 injured persons. 

Kochi is the second-worst in Kerala when it comes to the number of pedestrian accidents (618), only behind Malappuram (778). However, Kochi sits in the middle tier for the number of pedestrian deaths — higher than Kozhikode (46), Thiruvananthapuram (47), and Kannur (38), but lower than Malappuram (88), Thrissur (71), and Kollam (52). 

With 2,455 accidents and 2,451 injured persons, Kochi ranks second in Kerala for crashes occurring during sunny weather, just behind Malappuram; 2,950 accidents and 3,476 injured persons. Deaths are also high in Kochi (141), but Thrissur (149), Kollam (173) and Malappuram (278) record more fatalities. 

Kochi ranks second in the state with 1,585 two-wheeler crashes, just behind Malappuram (1,635). Thrissur (1,472) and Thiruvananthapuram (1,458) are close but lower. Kannur has less than half of Kochi's accidents (722). Malappuram tops with 164 fatalities in two-wheeler accidents. Kollam (124) and Thrissur (122) record higher deaths than Kochi (106) despite fewer crashes. 

Malappuram is clearly the leader in car accidents (302), deaths (16), and injuries (341), followed by Thrissur with 239 crashes, 14 deaths and 221 injured persons. In truck accidents, Thrissur (80) leads; followed by Malappuram (64), Kannur (39) and Kochi (39). 

When it comes to drunken driving, Thiruvananthapuram has the highest accident count (41), but surprisingly zero fatalities. Kochi stands second with 27 accidents and two deaths. Kochi records the highest number of accidents (10) involving the use of mobile phones.