Bengaluru’s ‘black spots’: TNM visits the city’s deadliest roads for pedestrians

In 2022, 248 pedestrians died in fatal accidents in Bengaluru—people who simply wanted to cross the street, walk to the store, or get home. The toll rose to 287 in 2023.

However, according to the Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) MN Anucheth, efforts to improve pedestrian safety have led to a 23.17% reduction in deaths in 2024. The number of pedestrian fatalities in 2024 stands at 223.

While there may be efforts in identifying and rectifying accident-prone 'black spots', the fundamental question remains: Are our roads truly safe for pedestrians?

Bengaluru has 64 official ‘black spots’. A blackspot, according to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), is a 500-metre stretch where, in the last three years, either five accidents resulting in fatalities or severe injuries have occurred or at least 10 fatalities have been reported.

TNM visited several of the ‘black spots’ identified by the Bengaluru Traffic Police, including ones on the Outer Ring Road, next to a popular business park and the busy Hennur junction in the heart of a commercial hub. We found that none of these spots have any facilities for pedestrians, and they are left at the mercy of speeding vehicles while trying to cross the road. The spots do not have any pedestrian crossings, traffic signals, broken or nonexistent footpaths, or traffic police. Despite repeated calls to address the problems pedestrians face, no plans for the road infrastructure incorporate the needs of the pedestrians.

The Black Spot crisis: Where pedestrians are most at risk

Eleven of the city’s black spots are on the Outer Ring Road (ORR), the 60-km perimeter road around Bengaluru. TNM visited seven spots located in the East division and found that all these spots had a complete lack of basic pedestrian infrastructure.