Skeletal remains of the private bus that went up into flames, claiming 20 lives, at Chinna Tekuru village in Kurnool district in the wee hours of October 24.
| Photo Credit: File Photo
Andhra Pradesh has witnessed several major fatal road accidents in 2025, prompting the government to take stringent measures to ensure safety on national and state highways.
Preliminary data from the government suggest that more than 8,200 fatal accidents and 10,600 non-fatal accidents were reported across Andhra Pradesh by the end of November.
At the same time, the statistics available with National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) raise concerns. Andhra Pradesh registered 17,039 deaths in 2023 due to road accidents when compared to 16,693 deaths in 2022, with an increase of about 2%.
For instance, some fatal accidents such as the Kurnool tragedy in which 20 people—19 passengers and a bike rider— died after a private bus went up in flames on the national highway in October.
In a very recent accident, five engineering students died near Chilakaluripet town of Palnadu district, after their car rammed into a truck illegally parked on the national highway.
According to the research studies and Parliamentary debates on prevention of road accidents, the short-term measures like provision of road markings, signage, crash barriers, raised pavement markers, delineators, closure of median openings, traffic calming measures, footpaths and pedestrian crossings in built-up areas, should be provided at identified hotspots on national and state highways for reducing the road accidents.
Further, long-term rectification measures involving improvement of road geometrics, junction improvements, spot widening of carriageway, foot over-bridges, construction of underpasses or overpasses should be provided to ensure the safety of the roadusers.
In a review meeting recently, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu asked all the government departments concerned to ensure preventive measures against road accidenrts.
As there are different reasons for various accidents, the policymakers should come up with innovative ideas, considering all stakeholders like police, roads and transportation, national highway authority of India and others to help prevent such fatalities.
The government has formed an expert group on the issue.
Published – December 26, 2025 11:01 pm IST