Nagpur: Samruddhi Expressway recorded 142 accidents and 128 deaths between Jan and Aug 2026, with fatalities already exceeding the number registered in entire 2024. The expressway had seen 173 deaths in 202 accidents in 2025, and 126 deaths in 137 accidents in 2024, reveals state police data.Maharashtra reported 7,980 accidents and 4,138 deaths on national highways in the first eight months this year. State highways recorded another 3,842 accidents and 2,015 deaths during the same period, according to the data provided in an RTI reply filed by activist Abhay Kolarkar.The data shows a significantly lower fatality count on Mumbai-Pune Expressway as compared with Samruddhi Expressway during the first eight months of 2026. Mumbai-Pune Expressway recorded 105 accidents and 39 deaths from Jan to Aug this year. It had reported 186 accidents and 68 deaths in 2025, and 191 accidents and 90 deaths in 2024.Sources said an increase in vehicular traffic is one of the main reasons for the increase in accidents on Samruddhi Expressway in the last two years.National highways witnessed 11,285 accidents in 2024, with a marginal increase to 11,381 in 2025. Fatalities rose from 5,812 in 2024 to 5,941 in 2025. On state highways, accidents declined from 5,814 in 2024 to 5,745 in 2025, while fatalities increased from 3,169 to 3,227.Among the police units, Pune Rural reported the highest number of deaths during Jan-Aug 2026, with 654 fatalities in 1,322 accidents. Yavatmal followed with 263 deaths in 460 accidents, while Nagpur Rural reported 241 deaths in 559 accidents. Nagpur city recorded 156 deaths in 711 accidents.The broader data on road fatalities shows that 8,992 men and 1,294 women were killed in road accidents across the state between Jan and Aug 2026. In 2025, the figures were 13,991 male and 2,039 female fatalities.Vehicle-wise figures available with the police show that truck and truck-related cases accounted for 1,203 accidents and 586 deaths in 2025, compared with 1,232 accidents and 598 deaths in 2024.