Mumbai: More than 60% of the people who died in accidents on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway (NH-48), between Dahisar and Ashad in Palghar, from January till July this year were pedestrians, a survey conducted by the Mira-Bhayander-Vasai-Virar (MBVV) traffic police has found.
Given the high proportion of pedestrians among the deceased, Shyete has been visiting local schools and colleges to teach students about pedestrian discipline, while senior traffic police inspector (Vasai) Prashant Langi has been making announcements on the highway, warning pedestrians against trespassing. The 38-kilometre stretch of the highway, which falls under the jurisdiction of the MBVV police, saw 47 deaths linked to road accidents from January-July this year. Among the deceased, 24 were pedestrians, and most of them were killed between 4pm and 10pm while crossing the highway, said Mahesh Shyete, senior police inspector (traffic), Virar. Accident triggers survey Sources in MBVV police said the survey was initiated after 13 people died and 17 others were injured in a head-on collision in May between a container truck and a tempo plying on the wrong side of NH-48 near Dhaniware in Palghar. The survey found that the 38-kilometre stretch of NH-48 under the MBVV police saw 135 accidents in 2025, which resulted in the death of 103 people. From January till July this year, 47 people died in road crashes on the same stretch, which had at least 12 black spots. Among the 47 fatalities, 23 people died on Mira Road to Tungareshwar Phata stretch that falls under the Vasai traffic division; of these 23, 11 were pedestrians and six were two-wheeler riders or pillion riders. The NH-48 stretch between Vasai and Ashad in Palghar, which falls under the Virar traffic division, recorded 24 deaths; 13 among them were pedestrians while six were two-wheeler riders or pillion riders. Traffic police officers said that there are hundreds of small-scale industries along the 38-km stretch which mostly employ local residents.
Because vehicles did not follow the speed limit or lane discipline and because the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which maintains the highway, did not take enough remedial measures, traffic police officers said, most of the accidents during the survey period occurred.
“Since there are no skywalks and pedestrian crossings in most places, people are forced to cross the highway amid heavy traffic, leaving them vulnerable,” a traffic police officer said, requesting anonymity.
