Poor Design, Careless Driving, Weak Laws Make MP Roads Risky

In Bhopal’s Ashbagh area, a new railway overbridge stands tall after a decade of construction — neat road, fresh paint, and all. But right in the middle lies a hidden hazard: a sharp 88-degree turn that forces drivers to swerve almost sideways to stay on track. One wrong move can send a vehicle crashing into the wall or straight into oncoming traffic. When locals shared photos online, outrage spread fast, with many questioning how such a dangerous curve was ever approved.

The state Public Works Department (PWD) Minister, Rakesh Singh promised to look into the issue. “Whenever a bridge is made, a lot of technical considerations are taken into account. So if there are such allegations, we will look into it,” he said, while dismissing concerns as baseless.

Locals say this is not just a design problem. It shows a bigger issue with how unsafe the roads are in Madhya Pradesh.

On June 04, a truck carrying cement from Rajasthan overturned on a Maruti Eco van in Jhabua’s Meghanagar area, killing 9 people from the same family. “The truck lost balance on a temporary road near an under-construction rail overbridge and fell on the van,” said Jhabua SP Padmavilochan Shukla.  The family was returning from a wedding. 

These deaths are one among thousands linked to risky roads, careless driving, and weak enforcement.

From 2018 to 2024, Madhya Pradesh has seen a steady rise in road accident deaths. In 2018, 10,706 people lost their lives. The number rose to 11,249 in 2019 and slightly dropped to 11,141 in 2020. But since then, it has continued to increase, 12,057 deaths in 2021, 13,427 in 2022, 13,798 in 2023, and 14,076 in 2024. That marks a 2 percent rise in road deaths in just the last year.

Over the past seven years, Madhya Pradesh has lost an average of 12,350 lives every year to road accidents — that’s over 1,000 deaths every single month, often due to unsafe roads, faulty design, speeding, and poor enforcement. A government report has flagged 444 black spots — dangerous stretches on national and state highways where crashes happen repeatedly. Jabalpur tops the list with 38 black spots, followed by Khargone with 24. Sagar, Indore Rural, Shahdol, and Barwani each have 18 such deadly stretches.

444 Black Spots and Counting

The Police Transportation Research Institute (PTRI) in Bhopal released these numbers. A senior official from PTRI, Tushar Kant Vidyarthi, said the focus is shifting from just "black spots" to a wider approach.

“Red spots are places with repeated accidents and high risk. Hot spots are entire areas where accidents keep happening. Black spots are smaller road stretches with major crashes and fatalities,” he explained.

In Bhopal, where the contractor has already built that questionable bridge, 16 accident-prone black spots have been identified. Road accident casualties rose from 196 in 2023 to 235 in 2024, a 20% increase.

Black spots were concentrated in rural areas that lack proper signage, lighting, or safety features. These stretches often fail to protect pedestrians and non-motorised road users.

The problem goes beyond deaths.

Madhya Pradesh also ranks high in total accidents and injuries. Between 2018 and 2022, it ranked second in the country for the number of road accidents, just after Tamil Nadu. Accidents rose from 51,397 in 2018 to 54,432 in 2022, with a small dip in 2020 during the pandemic. In 2022 alone, Tamil Nadu reported 64,105 road accidents, while MP followed close behind.

In terms of injuries, the pattern is similar. MP recorded 55,168 injuries in 2022, up from 54,662 in 2018.

These figures show a clear pattern: roads in Madhya Pradesh are not safe, and poor planning continues to make them worse.

Beyond black spots

Now, the sharp turn on Bhopal’s new overbridge has raised new worries. But unsafe roads in Madhya Pradesh are not just about one bridge — there are many other reasons why driving here is dangerous.

Siddharth Rokde, a road safety expert and professor at MANIT Bhopal, said Madhya Pradesh's geography isn’t naturally dangerous for driving.

“MP is not like hilly or valley states that are prone to accidents,” he said. “But road user behaviour, poor engineering, and the lack of proper road design are major reasons for crashes.”

He explained what’s missing on the ground.

“We don’t have forgiving roads—those with speed breakers, dividers, or crash barriers that can reduce impact,” he said.

The problem is not limited to isolated incidents. A 2024 study titled "Analysing Road Accident Trends and Contributing Factors on Highways in Madhya Pradesh" found that speeding is the leading cause of road accidents in the state. It accounted for 47% of accidents in 2023, up from 40% in 2010. Drunk driving and driver distractions, like mobile phone use, also rose steadily.

Citing NCRB’s 2022 data, Siddharth Rokde pointed out that Madhya Pradesh accounted for 9.3% of road accident deaths caused by drunk or drug-influenced driving. Only Uttar Pradesh (31.4%) and Odisha (11.2%) reported higher numbers.

Earlier, in Bhopal, ITMS (Intelligent Traffic Management System) cameras installed under the Smart City project were to issue challans for speeding. These cameras are checked on four major roads, including the VIP Road. Now, most of these cameras don’t work. Many roads also lack speed limit signs. Without these signs, people often argue with traffic police when fined for speeding. 

Poor road conditions contributed to 21% of crashes in 2023, while pedestrian-related incidents also saw a slight increase.

In 2024, the Madhya Pradesh High Court issued notices to NHAI and the state over poor highway conditions. A PIL demands urgent repairs and points out that tolls are collected, yet both highways remain poorly maintained. This neglect creates serious risks for motorists. 

The study used GIS mapping to identify high-risk zones or “black-spots” across the state’s highways. Many of these are located on NH-44 and SH-27, where roads are poorly maintained and carry heavy traffic.

While safety remains a concern, road development in Madhya Pradesh is expanding. According to the MP Road Development Corporation, 40% of the state’s roads were built in the last decade.

In January 2024, Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone for 24 new National Highway projects. These will cover 724 kilometers and cost ₹10,405 crore.

Fixing the problem?

Faced with rising deaths and growing public concern, the Madhya Pradesh government and police have begun to act.

The state police, along with the Police Transportation Research Institute (PTRI), are now identifying red spots and hot spots in every district, not just black spots. Officials say this will help local road safety committees focus on high-risk areas and take faster action.

The state’s Chief Secretary, Anurag Jain, recently directed every district to create its own road safety plan. These plans will identify risky locations and propose ways to fix them. District collectors will lead the work, supported by the Public Works Department, traffic police, and local bodies.

The government also announced stricter penalties for reckless driving. Anyone caught driving dangerously will face a three-month suspension of their license.

To curb rising road deaths, the Madhya Pradesh government launched two linked schemes. In March, it rolled out Rahveer Yojana, offering ₹25,000 to anyone who takes a road accident victim to the hospital. Last week, it also implemented the Centre’s cashless treatment plan, covering up to ₹1.5 lakh in hospital care for one week. No mediclaim is needed. Hospitals must start treatment immediately and register on the central portal for reimbursement. Indore, with the highest road fatalities, is a major focus.

At the national level, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has introduced several steps to tackle the issue. These efforts focus on education, road design, vehicle safety, enforcement, and emergency care. Every year, the ministry observes Road Safety Month and funds awareness campaigns. It also supports the setup of driving training centres across the country to improve road behaviour.

In terms of vehicle safety, the Ministry has made airbags mandatory for front-seat passengers. Motorcycles carrying children must now follow strict safety norms, including helmets and harnesses. All vehicles must include features like seat belt reminders, overspeed warnings, reverse parking sensors, and anti-lock braking systems. From October 2025, heavy trucks will also need air-conditioned driver cabins.

Emergency care has received a boost too. The government now protects Good Samaritans—people who help accident victims—from legal trouble. It has also raised compensation in hit-and-run cases to ₹50,000 for serious injuries and ₹2,00,000 for deaths. Ambulances are now stationed at toll plazas along major highways. In some areas, pilot programs offer cashless treatment for crash victims.

Researchers behind the 2024 study say these policy changes are timely. They call for urgent interventions in high-risk zones identified through GIS data, especially where repeated crashes show clear patterns.

They also recommend improving driver education, enforcing traffic laws strictly, and redesigning unsafe road segments. These steps, they say, are essential to stop the steady rise in road deaths across the state.

Despite new policies, safety campaigns, and promises of better roads, the numbers haven’t dropped. Sharp turns, broken highways, speeding vehicles, and weak enforcement still put lives at risk. The bridge in Ashbagh, the crash on NH-44, and the rising death toll all point to the same question: Are safer roads just on paper, or will drivers finally see real change on the ground?

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