Lack of footpaths, increasing black spots behind rising pedestrian deaths in Bengaluru

With 292 fatalities, Bengaluru accounted for 9.48% of the total pedestrian deaths in 53 major cities in 2023, topping the chart for the highest number of pedestrian deaths that year, according to National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) data.

Traffic police attribute the rise to a growing population, lack of lane discipline, infrastructure shortcomings, and an increasing number of accident black spots.

Bengaluru ranked first in pedestrian fatalities, followed by Ahmedabad (236) and Jaipur (201), according to the NCRB data. At the State level, Karnataka also ranked third among the States and union territories, with 2,386 pedestrian deaths, trailing only behind Bihar (3,462) and Tamil Nadu (4,577).

A senior police officer explained that many footpaths in Bengaluru are inaccessible, either due to encroachments or littered with garbage. “In most cases, there is no visible footpath at all. These factors force people to walk on the roads, which is a major concern,” he said.

“Add accident black spots to these issues, and the risk of fatalities increases. These black spots often arise due to garbage accumulation and dumped construction debris,” the officer added. He also highlighted cases where pedestrians were critically injured and later died due to motrocyclists performing stunts using two-wheelers in violation of the law.

To address these issues, the Bengaluru traffic police had launched a drive in 2024 to identify black spots, which proved successful. However, the initiative was not expanded, which could be an effective measure to reduce pedestrian deaths.

The officer also noted that busy commercial hubs such as Chikpete, Kamakshipalya, and J.C. Road lack safe pedestrian crossings, which further worsens the situation.

“Previously, even doctors conducting post-mortems on accident victims would suggest possible causes based on the nature of injuries, which helped improve infrastructure (a complex study). Bengaluru needs a similar model– bringing together civic bodies, traffic police, doctors, and citizen groups—to address infrastructure issues,” he said, adding that several other gaps could be resolved through policy changes.