The accident blackspots have been identified, fatality figures are available and reminders have been sent. Yet, road safety remains a work in progress on two major National Highways passing through Ludhiana, often at a fatal cost.
As many as 631 people were killed in 771 crashes on NH-44 and NH-5 within the Ludhiana Police Commissionerate limits between 2021 and 2024, according to police data. The police have identified 61 accident blackspots on the two highways for the 2022-24 period.
NH-44 is the bigger concern. Its 31.12-km stretch recorded 512 crashes and 422 deaths, translating into 3.38 deaths per km. On NH-5, 259 crashes claimed 209 lives on its 36.82-km stretch, translating into 1.41 deaths per km.
The contrast is stark. NH-44 accounts for a disproportionately high number of deaths despite its stretch being less than a kilometre shorter than that of NH-5. The problem is also evident along the busy stretches of the highway.
The NH-44 corridor through Sahnewal, Dhandari, Sherpur, Basti Jodhewal, the Jalandhar Bypass and Ladhowal is a daily contest between heavy commercial traffic and city life. Trucks and other heavy vehicles share the road with factory workers, commuters, pedestrians and two-wheeler riders. At Basti Jodhewal and Kailash Nagar, pedestrians continue to use unauthorised openings to cross the highway. What may appear to be a shortcut can become a fatal crossing within seconds.
NH-5 has its own trouble spots, with Chandigarh Road and Ferozepur Road witnessing heavy traffic. The stretches around Cheema Chowk, the bus stand and Bharat Nagar Chowk are particularly busy.
Adding to the danger is the problem of dark service roads. A large number of streetlights on service roads and adjoining highway stretches are reportedly non-functional. The Ludhiana Municipal Corporation has repeatedly written to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), seeking repairs, but the lights remain a familiar reminder of the gap between correspondence and action.
The danger is greater at night, particularly near junctions, entry and exit points and unauthorised crossings. A pedestrian or cyclist can remain almost invisible to speeding vehicles, leaving little time to avert a collision.
The recent numbers offer no room for complacency. Ludhiana recorded 481 crashes and 377 deaths in 2024. In 2025, the number of crashes increased to 498, while fatalities fell to 359.
Road safety expert Rahul Verma said the problem was partly rooted in highway planning.
“These NHs are primarily planned for heavy vehicles, while pedestrians and cyclists are largely ignored. Dysfunctional streetlights and potholed roads are also contributing to accidents,” he said.
He added that repeated reminders by the district administration and the Municipal Corporation to the NHAI for basic repairs had yielded little.
Despite repeated attempts, Priyanka Meena, Project Director, NHAI, was unavailable for comment.