'Black Spots' On Google Maps To Alert Commuters Of Delhi's Accident Prone Zones

NDTV

6 days ago

New Delhi:
In an effort to enhance road safety in the national capital, the Delhi Traffic Police announced that it will mark all identified black spots on Google Maps, which will provide real-time alerts to commuters as they approach accident-prone areas, officials said.
They clarified that if the feature launches in 2025, it will initially showcase locations from the finalised list of black spots for the year 2024, as the annual list is compiled at the end of each year.
A black spot is a central point where accidents have occurred repeatedly within a 500-metre radius on both sides. "If a particular stretch sees frequent accidents, the midpoint of that stretch is categorised as a black spot," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic Headquarters) Shive Keshari Singh told PTI.
In 2024, a total of 111 black spots were identified, recording 1,132 accidents, including 483 fatalities and 649 non-fatal crashes, according to officials.
"We are tying up with Google, and internal procedures are in progress," Singh mentioned. "If and when it goes live this year, the map will carry the 2024 black spots first. The idea is to give timely information so commuters stay alert, their drive becomes easier and safer and reduce the number of fatalities." In 2024, Azadpur Sabzi Mandi on GT Karnal Road recorded the highest number of accidents at 20, which included 11 fatal cases. Akshardham Mandir on NH-24 saw 19 accidents, eight of them fatal. Bhalswa Chowk on Outer Ring Road also recorded 19, with six listed as fatal.
ISBT Kashmere Gate recorded 17 accidents, including eight fatal ones. SGT Nagar recorded 18, with seven categorised as fatal, while Libaspur Bus Stand had 18 crashes, including six fatal ones. Anand Vihar ISBT and Rajokari Flyover each recorded 16 accidents. Near Yashobhoomi Convention Centre in Dwarka, 12 accidents were recorded, seven of them fatal, while Wazirabad logged 15 accidents, nine of which were fatal.
In 2024, the top 10 black spots for accidents accounted for a total of 180 incidents. Data indicated that several corridors had multiple high-risk locations, with Outer Ring Road reporting at least 17 black spots, Ring Road having 13, and GT Karnal Road featuring 10. Other roads, such as Rohtak Road, NH-8, and Najafgarh Road, also had several black spots.
As of July 2025, an additional 25 new black spots have been identified, which collectively experienced 176 accidents, including 88 that were classified as fatal. Busy corridors such as Ring Road, Outer Ring Road, and GT Karnal Road remain prominent, while ISBT Kashmere Gate, SGT Nagar, and Hanuman Mandir in Bawana have been flagged as repeat locations.
"There can be many reasons a black spot forms, from missing or faded signage, worn zebra crossings, to poor road condition," a senior official said. "We deploy personnel at these stretches and work with road agencies to fix the engineering issues, and now we are adding a tech layer through Google Maps." The planning for this initiative is ongoing, including marking the black spot locations and coordinating with road-owning agencies to improve signage, road designs, and strategic deployment of personnel. The goal is to make Delhi's roads safer and more secure, the DCP added.
A comparison of the top 10 black spots from 2024 and 2025 reveals some overlap. ISBT Kashmere Gate, SGT Nagar, and Libaspur Bus Stand appear among the highest-risk locations for two consecutive years. Hanuman Mandir, which recorded 19 accidents in 2024, is included again, with 10 incidents already listed in 2025.
On the other hand, Swaroop Nagar features on the 2025 list but was not part of the top accident-prone locations last year. Akshardham Mandir and Wazirabad, both of which had high numbers in 2024, are currently absent from the 2025 top 10.