More than 21,000 killed in road accidents in nine years, the state is least bothered
Summary
More than 21,000 people were killed in road accidents in Nepal over nine years, while repeated inquiry reports after major crashes have largely gone unimplemented. Authorities and transport stakeholders are again calling for stricter enforcement, better road safety measures and tighter controls on driver fatigue, overloading and vehicle inspections.
Key Points
- Nepal Police recorded 187,949 road accidents over nine years, leaving 21,031 people dead and 51,049 seriously injured.
- After major crashes in Dhading, Rolpa, Bhimphedi and Simaltal, inquiry committees repeatedly identified driver fatigue, overloading, poor roads and weak monitoring as key causes.
- Recommended measures such as a Road Safety Act, a National Road Safety Council, digital monitoring of public vehicles and mandatory rest breaks for drivers have mostly not been implemented.
- Officials and transport leaders say the state has failed to prioritize road safety and enforce existing transport laws, allowing preventable accidents to continue.
