The Supreme Court has expressed concern that national highways are turning into accident traps instead of symbols of progress. A bench of Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice Atul Chandurkar ordered a nationwide ban on illegal parking on highways, prohibiting heavy vehicles from stopping on main carriageways and shoulders, linking road safety to the “right to life” under Article 21. India loses nearly 3% of its GDP due to road accidents, with most victims aged 18“45. Though highways form only 2% of roads, they account for up to 36% of deaths, with over 54,000 fatalities reported in 2024 alone.
