Hyderabad sees fewer road deaths despite rising accidents
HYDERABAD: Road accidents have increased across Telangana, but the number of deaths has declined, offering partial relief, official data show.
City roads slower, safer
In Hyderabad city limits, busy corridors such as Ameerpet and Kukatpally continue to record accidents, but fatal incidents remain relatively low. Traffic signals, heavy congestion, and enforcement of helmet and seat belt rules have reduced accident severity. Average vehicle speeds in these stretches rarely exceed 23 kmph, officials said.
High speed raises risk in outskirts
In contrast, the Cyberabad and Rachakonda police commissionerates have reported higher numbers of both accidents and deaths. Officials attributed this largely to overspeeding. These jurisdictions cover peripheral areas with educational institutions, commercial hubs and software companies, where wide roads and expanding layouts encourage faster driving.
On the Outer Ring Road, where the permitted maximum speed is 120 kmph, many vehicles are reportedly travelling beyond the limit. When accidents occur at such speeds, fatalities happen within seconds, police said.
Commissionerate-wise trend
Data from the State Cyber Security Bureau show that Cyberabad recorded the highest number of road accidents and deaths in the state despite having a lower population than Hyderabad. Hyderabad commissionerate ranked third in accidents and fifth in deaths.
Warangal and Sangareddy commissionerates reported fewer accidents overall, but deaths were disproportionately high. In Warangal, fatalities were about 50 per cent higher than Hyderabad despite less than half the number of accidents, highlighting the role of speed on highways and suburban roads.
District and year-wise data
According to the infographic data, Hyderabad recorded 5,059 accidents and 924 deaths, while Cyberabad saw 3,860 accidents and 721 deaths. Rachakonda reported 3,367 accidents and 303 deaths. Sangareddy had 1,116 accidents and 447 deaths, and Medak reported 1,478 accidents and 448 deaths.
Statewide, Telangana averaged 74 road accidents and 20 deaths every day.
Overall accident numbers rose by about 5 per cent compared to last year, but deaths declined by a similar margin. In absolute terms, 2025 recorded 1,366 more accidents than the previous year, while deaths fell by 404.
Enforcement and awareness
Police said stricter enforcement and growing public awareness on helmet use, seat belts, wrong-side driving and overspeeding have contributed to the decline in fatalities.
In 2025, police intensified road safety campaigns under the ‘Arrive Alive’ initiative. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has directed special focus on road accident prevention. Recent IPS transfers prioritised traffic divisions, along with additional funds and manpower.
Police have also decided to maintain continuous patrols at identified accident-prone black spots across the state.
