Chandigarh's roads have become increasingly deadly, with official data showing 460 people lost their lives in road crashes over the past five-and-a-half years. The same period saw traffic police issue 39 lakh challans and collect Rs 139 crore in fines — yet the crash numbers tell a troubling story.
The data, compiled by the Chandigarh Traffic Police and accessed by The Tribune, covers the period between 2021 and August 2026. During this time, the city recorded 1,105 road crashes that left 932 persons injured.
Chandigarh Road Crash Statistics Show Alarming Frequency
The numbers translate into a grim reality for the planned city of 12.5 lakh people. On average, Chandigarh sees roughly one road death every four days and one crash every two days.
According to The Tribune, official road crash data reveals a troubling pattern in the fatality numbers. After a three-year decline in road deaths between 2021 and 2023, fatalities bounced back sharply in 2024 and rose further in 2025.
Challans and Fines Rise While Enforcement Questions Grow
The enforcement machinery has been active — 39 lakh challans were issued and Rs 139 crore was collected in fines during the same five-and-a-half-year window. But the contrast between enforcement output and crash outcomes raises serious questions.
The data for 2026, covering 228 days so far, continues to show the trend. The Tribune's report highlights that the enforcement numbers tell one story, while the crash register tells another.
"The numbers from the challans tell one story. Those from the crash register tell another." — The Tribune
Our Take: Enforcement Alone Is Not Saving Lives
To put it plainly, this data exposes a hard truth: issuing challans and collecting fines is not the same as making roads safer. Chandigarh's traffic police have been aggressive in enforcement — 39 lakh challans is a massive number. But 460 deaths in five-and-a-half years means the system is failing somewhere.
The fact that deaths declined for three years and then bounced back sharply suggests that whatever safety measures were working earlier either stopped working or were overwhelmed. The city needs to look beyond fines and challans — better road design, stricter licensing, and public awareness may matter more than the number of tickets issued.
For residents of Chandigarh, this data is a warning. The roads they use every day are statistically more dangerous than they should be for a planned city. The authorities need to ask why enforcement is up but deaths are rising — and fix the gap before more lives are lost.
