Road accidents claimed 242 lives in Chamarajanagar district in 2025

Road accidents claimed a total of 242 lives in Chamarajanagar district during 2025, according to a statistics on road accidents shared by the Regional Transport Officer.

Sharing the statistics on road accidents at a programme organised in Chamarajanagar recently to mark 37th National Road Safety Month – January 2026, Regional Transport Officer Gayathri said a total of 821 accidents had been reported during 2025, in which 1,274 persons were injured, while 242 had died.

During 2024, a total of 769 accident cases were reported in which 256 people had died and 1,130 people were injured.

Ms. Gayathri shared these statistics while delivering the introductory address at the function organised jointly by the Chamarajanagar district administration, Chamarajanagar District Legal Services Authority, Chamarajanagar district police, Regional Transport Department, and the Chamarajanagar Road Safety Committee in Chamarajanagar recently.

With a view to effectively curbing the rising number of road accidents, the Transport Department has been organising road safety and traffic rule awareness programmes at crowded places such as markets, fairs, railway stations, and bus stands, Ms. Gayathri said while seeking the co-operation from the public and all stakeholders to make Chamarajanagar an accident-free district.

Ishwar, senior civil judge and member secretary of the District Legal Services Authority, Chamarajanagar, said every life is precious, and hence the public should strictly follow traffic rules to protect lives and ensure road safety.

Road safety, he said, means ensuring the safety of every person using the road. With the increase in the number of vehicles, the number of accidents has also risen and non-compliance with traffic rules is the main reason for this, he rued.

“While some people are aware of traffic rules, they are negligent in following them. Accidents are accidental and not intentional, but an accident can push an entire family onto the streets. Hence, every driver must exercise patience and caution while driving,” he said.

He said every person driving a vehicle must compulsorily carry a driving licence, insurance policy, vehicle registration certificate and pollution under control certificate. Two-wheeler riders must wear helmets and car drivers must use seat belts, he said.

Vehicles must be driven within the prescribed speed limits. Indicators should be used on the highway, he said, while cautioning people against drunken driving. “Signal jumping and triple riding must not be done. Vehicles should not be parked in no-parking zones,” the judge said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Girish, an official from the School Education Department, noted that owning two or three scooters and cars had become a matter of social prestige in present times.

Regretting the rise in number of accidents as the number of vehicles were increasing, he said “haste” is a major cause of accident.

A situation has emerged where even parents encourage children below 18 years to drive vehicles, which is unacceptable, he said. “Despite having many traffic rules for road safety, they are not being followed, which is unfortunate. Children must be educated about road safety rules from the primary level itself,” he said.

On the occasion, posters and handbills aimed at creating awareness about traffic rules and road safety were released.

Deputy Director of Pre-University Education Puttagowramma, Senior Motor Vehicle Inspector Yogesh, and other officials attended.

Published – January 09, 2026 08:01 pm IST