The number of vehicle accidents in Bhutan has been on the rise. Last year, the police recorded nearly 1,120 vehicle accidents. This is 55 more than the 2023 figure. According to the police, human errors such as speeding, drunk driving, and poor vehicle maintenance, among others, remain one of the leading causes of vehicle accidents in Bhutan.
While vehicle accidents saw an accelerated growth from 780 in 2022 to 1,062 in 2023, the figure slowed down to nearly 1,120 last year.
Thimphu recorded the highest number of accidents with more than 200 in 2023 which increased to 300 last year. This was followed by Phuentshogling and Punakha.
As per the data, single-vehicle accidents remained the most common type of accident over the past two years.
In 2023, 580 such cases were reported, which dropped to 534 last year. Meanwhile, two-vehicle collisions were the second most frequent, rising from just over 300 cases in 2023 to nearly 400 last year.
Vehicle-pedestrian collisions and hit-and-run cases ranked as the third and fourth most frequent types of accidents over the past two years.
Meanwhile, the data also shows a decrease in fatalities and injuries from accidents. In 2023, around 105 fatalities were reported, which dropped to just over 90 last year. Similarly, the number of injuries declined from 1,063 to just over 630 during the same period.
Sangay Chozom & Tashi Dekar
Edited by Kipchu
