Delhi recorded 1,309 road accident deaths between January and September 2026, averaging five fatalities and 17 injuries daily, according to official data. The national capital reported 4,679 accidents, with daily averages for accidents, deaths and injuries reaching six-year highs. Pedestrians and two-wheeler riders accounted for 81% of fatalities.
Delhi recorded 1,309 road accident deaths in the first nine months of 2026, with an average of five people killed and 17 injured every day, according to official data. Two-wheeler riders and pedestrians accounted for 81 per cent of all fatalities, highlighting the risks faced by vulnerable road users in the national capital. The city reported 4,679 road accidents and 4,662 injuries between January and September. The daily averages for accidents, deaths and injuries during this period were the highest recorded in six years, the data showed.
Delhi Road Accidents Reach Six-Year High
Delhi recorded an average of 17 road accidents a day in the first nine months of 2026, compared with 13 in 2021 and 16 annually between 2022 and 2025.
The average daily death toll also increased. While Delhi recorded around three road accident deaths a day in 2021, the figure rose to four in 2022 and remained at that level until 2025. It climbed to five a day in the first nine months of 2026.
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The number of people injured each day also remained high. The daily average rose from 12 in 2021 to 14 in 2022 and 15 in 2023. It stood at 14 in 2024 and 15 in 2025 before reaching 17 in 2026.
In absolute numbers, Delhi recorded 4,720 road accidents in 2021, 5,652 in 2022, 5,834 in 2023, 5,657 in 2024 and 5,689 in 2025.
Road accident fatalities increased from 1,239 in 2021 to 1,461 in 2022 and 1,457 in 2023. The toll rose to 1,551 in 2024 and 1,617 in 2025.
The number of injured people also remained above 5,000 annually from 2022 onwards, reaching 5,470 in 2023.
Pedestrians, Two-Wheeler Riders Account For Most Deaths
Pedestrians remained among the worst-affected road users. Around 492 pedestrians were killed in road accidents in Delhi between January and September 2026, accounting for nearly two out of every five fatalities.
The daily average of pedestrian deaths has remained around two since 2022, compared with one a day in 2021.
Delhi recorded 504 pedestrian deaths in 2021, 629 in 2022, 622 in 2023, 584 in 2024 and 649 in 2025.
The fact that pedestrians and two-wheeler riders together accounted for 81 per cent of road accident deaths in the first nine months of 2026 underlines the risks faced by people who have less physical protection in a collision.
Trucks, Buses And E-Rickshaws Also Feature In Data
Among vehicles identified as being involved in road accidents in 2026, cars accounted for 15 per cent, trucks for 13 per cent, buses for 6 per cent and e-rickshaws for 2.5 per cent.
Accidents involving e-rickshaws increased from 55 in 2021 to 66 in 2022 and 118 in 2023. The figure stood at 112 in 2024 and rose to 163 in 2025. Delhi recorded 119 such cases by September 2026.
Truck-related accidents rose from 145 in 2021 to 207 in 2025, with 170 cases reported in the first nine months of 2026. Bus-related accidents stood at 79 during the same period, compared with 74 in 2025.
Delhi Traffic Police Stresses Road Safety
A senior police officer said the figures highlighted the urgent need to make Delhi's roads safer, particularly for pedestrians and two-wheeler riders.
The officer added that stronger enforcement of traffic rules, safer road design, speed management and better protection for vulnerable road users needed to work together to reduce road deaths and injuries.
(With inputs from agencies)
