Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway accidents: Nearly 300 people killed in 3 years

Three years after it was inaugurated with much fanfare, the Mysuru–Bengaluru National Highway 275 has emerged as one of Karnataka’s deadliest road corridors, recording 1,901 accidents since March 2023. Nearly 300 people died overall in the last three years.

The crashes have claimed an average of 87 lives every year, while nearly 351 people suffered serious injuries between 2023 and 2025, according to an analysis of road accident data published by Star of Mysore. Another 1,365 sustained minor injuries, while 846 escaped without harm.

Accident hotspot

The 120-km highway passes through four districts — Mysuru (10–12 km), Mandya (60–66 km), Ramanagara or Bengaluru South district (30 km) and Bengaluru (10–12 km). The road was designed to cut travel time between Bengaluru and Mysuru and support high-speed traffic.

The data covers two critical stretches – Nidaghatta to Mysuru, covering 59 km, and Bengaluru to Nidaghatta, spanning 61 km. The Nidaghatta to Mysuru stretch remained the accident hotspot, recording 163 fatalities from 948 accidents, while the Bengaluru-Nidaghatta stretch recorded 99 deaths from 953 accidents.

Also read: How Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway is changing travel in South India

The Nidaghatta–Mysuru stretch recorded 948 accidents, leading to 163 fatalities, 136 serious injuries and 758 minor injuries. In comparison, the Bengaluru–Nidaghatta stretch saw 953 accidents, resulting in 99 fatalities, 215 serious injuries and 607 minor injuries.

Authorities attribute the fewer deaths in Bengaluru-Nidaghatta stretch to improved monitoring, quicker responses to emergency and proximity to hospitals and trauma care facilities. Whereas, towns and cities on the Nidaghatta-Mysuru stretch are located far from the highway for the ambulances to reach the accident spots on time.

Year-wise data

According to data, in 2023, the highway recorded the highest number of accidents, with 797 incidents and 149 fatalities. In 2024, there was a decline, with 548 accidents resulting in 56 deaths. However, in 2025, there was another rise, with 556 accidents and 57 fatalities.

Also read: Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway will contribute to Karnataka's growth: Modi

To prevent accidents, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has banned the plying of two-wheelers, autos, tractors, non-motorised vehicles, agricultural vehicles, multi-axle hydraulic trailer vehicles, and quadricycles on the Expressway.

According to official sources, this restriction has been primarily motivated by safety concerns, as slow-moving vehicles on high-speed corridors pose a threat. Generally, bikes, autos and tractors are not permitted on access-controlled highways, which are designed for high-speed commutes at 120 km/hour. This rule applies to the Mysuru-Bengaluru Expressway as well.

Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway project was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023.