Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Road safety remains a major concern in Goa, with the state recording 1,523 road accidents between January and July 2026, 160 more than the 1,363 crashes reported during the same period last year.
The increase translates into an 11.74 per cent rise in accidents. However, the number of deaths witnessed a marginal decline, with 157 people losing their lives in road crashes till July, compared to 161 fatalities during the corresponding period in 2025.
July alone accounted for 199 accidents and 15 deaths.
Traffic Police data indicates that reckless and negligent driving remains the dominant factor behind the crashes. Nearly 97 per cent, or 96.98 per cent, of the accidents during the period were attributed to such driving behaviour.
Old Goa emerged as the jurisdiction with the highest number of crashes, recording 130 cases. It was followed closely by Ponda with 129, Verna with 119, Panaji with 105 and Anjuna with 85 accidents.
In terms of fatalities, Ponda topped the list with 13 deaths. Agassaim recorded 12, while Verna and Old Goa reported 11 and 10 deaths respectively. Anjuna, Cuncolim and Canacona recorded nine fatalities each.
Some areas saw a steep year-on-year increase in accidents. Saligao registered the highest jump at 300 per cent, followed by Canacona at 266.67 per cent, Colvale at 200 per cent, Mardol at 133.33 per cent and Cuncolim at 120 per cent.
National highways accounted for 39.19 per cent of the total crashes. The data also shows that most accidents occurred on straight sections of roads, which accounted for 82.91 per cent of cases. Curved stretches contributed another 12.06 per cent.
Two-wheelers and cars featured prominently in the accident statistics. Motorcycle-related crashes accounted for 42.10 per cent of the total, while cars were involved in 41.79 per cent.
Motorcyclists bore the brunt of the fatalities. Of the 157 people killed, 112 were motorcycle riders, accounting for 71.33 per cent of all deaths recorded during the seven-month period.
Old Goa registered the highest number of two-wheeler crashes at 93, followed by Ponda with 92, Verna with 70, Margao-Curtorim with 67 and Panaji with 66.
For car-related crashes, Panaji recorded the highest figure at 114, followed by Old Goa with 94, Verna with 88, Margao with 76 and Anjuna with 74.
The timing of accidents also reveals a pattern, with the 1 pm to 2 pm period witnessing the highest number of crashes. Friday emerged as the most accident-prone day, accounting for 12.06 per cent of the total, followed by Saturday at 11.55 per cent.
Of the 1,523 crashes recorded till July, 939 took place during daylight hours, while 590 occurred at night.
