Talapady-Hejmady stretch accounts for 86% of road fatalities on NHs in and around Mangaluru since 2023
The three National Highways in and around the city have claimed the lives of 188 people from 2023 to June 15, 2025, and 86% of these deaths (162) occurred on the 43-km stretch of the Kochi-Panvel NH 66 alone, according to the data provided by the city police.
Pedestrians constitute more than one-third of the road accident victims, that is 72, in Mangaluru City Police Commissionerate limits, and the number of pedestrians who died on NH 66 is 63, during this period.
Besides the Talapady-Hejmady stretch of NH 66, which falls under the Commissionerate limits, the Nanthoor-Arkula stretch of Mangaluru-Bengaluru NH 75 (10 km) and the Bikarnakatte-Moodbidri stretch of Mangaluru-Solapur NH 169 come under the jurisdiction of the City Traffic Police.
NH 66 has virtually become a death trap for motorists and pedestrians, with 81 people, including 39 pedestrians, being killed in the Traffic North Police limits that comprises areas beyond Kulur Bridge and includes the busy New Mangalore Port, Baikampady and Surathkal. Under the Traffic South Police limits, which comprises areas beyond Pumpwell Circle and including Thokkottu till Talapady, 55 people, including 17 pedestrians, were killed during the period.
In all, there were 69 fatal accidents and 72 deaths in 2023, 83 fatal accidents and 85 deaths in 2024 and 30 fatal accidents and 31 fatalities till June 15, 2025, in the City Commissionerate limits.
Paucity of road furniture
City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy told The Hindu that the police have written several letters to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to improve the road furniture of NHs.
In the June 9 death of two-wheeler rider Ashraf of Surathkal Janatha Colony in Panambur, where a tanker ran over him after his fall due to a pothole, the police have issued a notice to NHAI asking to show cause why action should not be initiated against the Authority.
While the Nanthoor-NITK Surathkal stretch of NH 66, under the Port Connectivity Road project, was built and maintained by the New Mangalore Port Road Company Ltd., after the abolition of the NITK Surathkal toll gate, it did not continue to maintain the stretch.
Even when the company was collecting the toll, the stretch had been in a pathetic state, forcing the Surathkal Toll Gate Virodhi Horata Samithi and other concerned individuals to hold protests demanding its proper upkeep. The NHAI is yet to complete the total renewal of the 11 km highway sanctioned by the Member of Parliament, Capt. Brjesh Chowta, at a cost of ₹28.58 crore.
Another senior officer said that the NHAI failed to erect median barricades to discourage pedestrians from crossing highways at will, and also didn't install blinkers at many median openings to caution vehicle drivers.
Many accidents happened due to rash and negligent driving, and driving under the influence of alcohol, Mr. Reddy said, citing the accident at Jeppinamogaru on June 18, where two youngsters in a car died in a self-accident.
Sixteen blackspots
Of the 16 identified accident blackspots along the NHs, seven were located within the Traffic North Police limits on NH 66, including Kulur, Jokatte Cross, Kulai, Hosabettu, Thadambail, and Mukka. Again, three were on NH 66 under the Traffic East Police limits — AJ Hospital/Kuntikana, KPT, and Nanthoor — and two under the Traffic South Police limits — Kallapu and Kolya. The other blackspots were Bikarnakatte, Gurupura Bandasale Cross to Gurupura Bridge, and Vidyagiri-Samagara Gundi stretch on NH 169 and Adyar Katte on NH 75.
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