Driving in Raipur and other major urban centres of Chhattisgarh has become increasingly hazardous, with road accidents occurring at alarming rates across the State, according to the latest data from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The figures show that 3,402 fatal accidents were reported in Chhattisgarh in 2025, of which 1,810 (over 65 per cent) occurred in urban areas. Four major city clusters Raipur, Bhilai-Durg, Bilaspur and Raigarh together accounted for 1,483 fatal accidents last year. Smaller urban centres, including Ambikapur, Jagdalpur and Dhamtari, have also seen a sharp rise in accidents and deaths. Locals and experts say the nature of accidents has changed. Earlier, most fatal crashes occurred at night; now they are happening in the morning and at noon as well, claiming lives throughout the day. Statewide, an accident reportedly occurs every 10 minutes, and one person dies every 72 hours from road crashes, highlighting the scale of the crisis. A coordination meeting of road-safety stakeholders recommended identifying top accident hotspots and addressing them through four pillars: engineering, education, enforcement and emergency care. Raman Rao, retired engineer and member of the All India Road Congress, said that analysis of accident reports shows pedestrians, two- wheeler riders and cyclists are the most vulnerable, accounting for about 75 per cent of urban fatalities. “Encroachment of main roads by street vendors and illegal parking is a major problem,” said Dr P K Ghosh, a road-safety expert. “Reduced road width forces vehicles into narrower lanes, increasing the risk of collisions. District administrations, transport departments and city police must take firm action against illegal parking and encroachments.” Experts also noted that Chhattisgarh lacks a proper mapping system for accident hotspots, a tool widely used in other states to guide targeted interventions. When contacted, D Ravishankar, Additional Commissioner of the Chhattisgarh Transport Department, said that he would review the ministry’s report before commenting.