As many as 743 people have lost their lives in pothole-related accidents across North India, with Punjab emerging as the worst-affected state, recording a staggering 414 deaths, between 2020 and 2024.In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Union Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said nearly 48 per cent of the 1,556 accidents caused by potholes in the region resulted in fatalities, underscoring the deadly impact of poor road conditions.The data covered mishaps in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Ladakh, and Jammu and Kashmir, from 2020 to 2024. Of these, Haryana reported 255 deaths, Delhi 50, HP 19, Ladakh three and Uttarakhand two. Notably, Chandigarh reported just one fatal pothole crash in 2022. Besides, 438 people were grievously injured in these accidents.Meanwhile, 9,438 people lost their lives in 23,056 pothole-related accidents in these five years across the country. Uttar Pradesh topped the list, with 5,127 deaths in over 10,000 pothole-related accidents.In another reply, the minister informed the House that in the calendar year 2023 and 2024, road accidents had claimed 1,72,890 and 1,77,177 lives, respectively.The minister said in coordination with states, UTs and other stakeholders, the Centre was undertaking various measures to improve road user safety. He added that the government had developed a multi-pronged road safety strategy based on the 4Es — education, engineering, enforcement, and emergency care.Gadkari said the government had prioritized maintaining the existing national highways and established a mechanism to ensure their repair through accountable maintenance agencies.During the calendar year 2025, the government spent Rs 7,071 crore towards maintenance and repair of stretches dotted with potholes.