Ahmedabad: The provisional data for 2024 indicated that Gujarat recorded 1,902 cases of hit-and-run on state roads — about five cases daily. The last consolidated report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) was for 2023. The data was tabled in the Lok Sabha earlier this month by the minister for road transport and highways.The data indicated that the number of cases came a notch down from 2,214 recorded in 2023. The number of hit-and-run cases put the state among the Top 10 states and Union territories in 2024. The years 2022 and 2023 recorded more than 2,200 cases.The answer also outlined the compensation or claims paid by the insurance firms or govt after the hit-and-run incidents — in 2024-25, out of 678 claims, 350 were paid, or payments in 52% of cases. The ratio improved to 88% (720 out of 819) in 2025-26.“Apart from the sheer statistics, what needs to be studied is the impact. It is often the two-wheelers or bicycle riders who are at the receiving end of such incidents. Even when the deaths do not take place, the victims often sustain grievous injuries. Speeding is not the only cause, the 3Es of road safety — engineering, education and enforcement — are required along with fourth E of emergency care to save lives,” said a road safety expert.Major cities such as Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot have recorded several instances of hit-and-run in the past five years, pointed out experts.
