Despite the mandate to decrease road accident deaths gradually by 50% in six years between 2014 and 2020, Odisha has fared in the opposite direction recording increase in fatalities by about 7.24% during 2021 compared to 2020.
During 2021, a total of 10,984 road accident cases were reported in the State in which 5,081 people died and 9,782 were injured. In 2020, as many as 9,817 accidents had taken place leading to the death of 4,738 persons.
A Supreme Court committee had asked the Odisha government to reduce fatalities in road accidents by 50% by 2020 taking 2014 as base. On the contrary, there has been steady increase in number of fatalities due to road accidents from 3,931 (year 2014) to 5,081 (year 2021) — an increase of about 29%.
