Kerala tops in rash-driving cases, ranks third in road accidents; over 900 crashes involve unlicensed drivers
Kerala ranks first in recorded rash-driving cases and third in road accidents in the country.
Kerala ranks first in recorded rash-driving cases and third in road accidents in the country.
Kerala ranks first in recorded rash-driving cases and third in road accidents in the country.
On October 25, Jayabalakrishnan S was heading home after a long day at his wayside eatery in Cheranalloor when he was killed in a crash involving a Mercedes-Benz car. It was around 2.30 am. The car was allegedly driven by a 17-year-old boy who did not have a driving licence.
Just a fortnight earlier, on October 11, colleagues Eyas, Gopika, and Devika were killed in a crash involving a Mini Cooper allegedly driven at 160 kmph by a 19-year-old on the Airport-Athani road near Nedumbassery in Kerala. They had stepped away from their part-time work for a tea break.
The deaths have again raised questions about safety on Kerala’s roads.
The numbers offer little comfort. The state ranks first in recorded rash-driving cases and third in road accidents in the country. According to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ Road Accidents in India 2024 report, Kerala recorded 48,834 road accidents in 2024, the third-highest among states and Union Territories. Tamil Nadu topped the list with 67,526 accidents, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 56,669.
Despite accounting for less than 3% of India’s population, Kerala accounted for approximately 10% of the road accidents reported across the country in 2024.
State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB) data show that total road accidents increased further in 2025 to 49,889. In the first eight months of 2026, the state recorded 35,873 road accidents and 2,702 deaths — an average of about 11 deaths a day.
The average number of road accidents per day rose from 76 in 2020 to 137 in 2025, an increase of approximately 80%. Daily fatalities increased from eight to 10 over the same period, a rise of 25% based on these rounded averages.
A comparison of the figures for the first eight months of this year with those for the corresponding period last year shows that accidents increased by 10% and fatalities by 8%.
Rash driving cases
The figures also draw attention to driving offences. National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data show that Kerala recorded the highest number of rash-driving cases among states from 2020 to 2024. The number of cases stood at 69,117 in 2020, rose to 85,325 in 2021 and reached 163,100 in 2022. The figure increased further to 178,549 in 2023 before falling to 109,953 in 2024.
However, the figures should be read with caution. The 2024 figures span the transition to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The available data do not establish whether the decline reflected fewer offences or changes in case registration or classification under the new criminal law.
According to the Road Accidents in India 2024 report, overspeeding was the leading identified cause of road accidents in Kerala in 2024, accounting for 25,687 crashes. Wrong-side driving accounted for 1,638 accidents, while drunk driving was linked to 133. The data also recorded 56 accidents involving red-light violations and 72 involving mobile phone use.
While most drivers involved in the crashes had licences, 993 road accidents involved drivers without a licence.
Malappuram tops in deaths
Among police districts, Malappuram recorded the highest number of deaths (333) in 2025, with 3,568 accidents. Palakkad followed in fatalities, with 305 deaths from 3,097 accidents. Thiruvananthapuram Rural reported 3,545 accidents and 303 deaths.
The Road Accidents in India 2024 report also ranked seven Kerala cities with population exceeding a million by the number of road accidents. Malappuram ranked seventh, followed by Kochi in eighth place. Thrissur ranked 12th, Kozhikode 13th, Thiruvananthapuram 14th, Kollam 17th and Kannur 19th.
Accidents caused by minors
Data from the Integrated Road Accident Database (iRAD) show that minor drivers caused 645 road accidents in Kerala during 2023 and 2024. Of the 11,890 such accidents reported across states and Union Territories, Kerala accounted for approximately 5.4%, placing it eighth nationally.
NCRB figures, meanwhile, show that the number of juveniles involved in rash-driving cases declined from 60 in 2019 to 19 in 2024. Cases involving juveniles accused of causing death by negligence also fell from 13 in 2019 to three in 2024. However, the figures alone do not establish whether the decline reflects improved compliance, changes in enforcement or variations in case registration.