With the monsoon continuing to expose the vulnerability of Himachal Pradesh’s mountain roads, 98 people have reportedly died in road accidents across the state so far between June 30 and August 12, with reasons being the falling of boulders, shooting stones, poor road conditions, adverse weather and human error emerging as major risks. Some of the worst accidents this season have involved falling rocks rather than conventional high-speed crashes.According to the data from the Himachal Pradesh Traffic Police, Chamba and Sirmaur recorded the highest number of road accident fatalities with 16 deaths each in this period.On August 5, a pilgrim from Punjab was killed after a boulder crashed through the sunroof of an SUV on the Chamba-Bharmour road.On August 8, eight people were killed while 10 were injured after a private bus rolled down a steep slope and fell onto another road near Chaluj Morh on the Bairagarh-Tissa road in Chamba.More recently, a 63-year-old Shimla resident was killed, while his wife and son were injured, after a boulder fell on their moving car on National Highway-205 in Solan.Superintendent of Police (SP), Chamba, Vijay Kumar Saklani, said, “There can be many reasons behind a road accident ranging from human negligence to the mechanical fault in the vehicles. In the mountainous areas situated at a height, chances of road accidents during adverse conditions always remain high.”A Chamba traffic police officer said, “Vulnerability to road accidents in Chamba was being recorded even before the onset of the monsoon. On May 11, six people, including five tourists from Gujarat and a local driver, were killed when their SUV skidded off the road and plunged into a deep gorge near Kakira on Lahru-Tunnuhatti road. Spot inspection didn’t rule out the possibility of low visibility.”Story continues below this adSP (Sirmaur) Nishchint Negi told The Indian Express, “We have been analysing each fatal road accident. In many parts of our districts, including Sangrah and Haripurdhar, which are at a height, and even Majra, which is in a plain area, reasons vary. In the upper areas, we found a shortage of concrete or iron-made crash-breaker parapets. In areas like Majra, there is a need for speed barriers at a specific distance. We have written about these things to the NHAI (National Highways Authority of India) and Himachal Pradesh PWD as well.”The road safety experts argue that with certain precautions these casualties could be reduced to ‘zero’.A member of Indian Road Congress (IRC) from Himachal Pradesh, Jaswant Singh, said, “If you analyse the nature of road accidents especially being reported during monsoon, the most recorded reasons are falling of boulders, stone-shooting, low visibility, poor road conditions, adverse climate conditions and human negligence. I believe some of these reasons could be improved by coordinating with the Forest, Revenue and Public Works departments.”“Do you think it is the responsibility of a commuter to come to Himachal and rule out the possibility that a boulder will not fall on the road? It is the job of people in the forest and revenue departments, and PWD. They should check the vulnerability on the roads well in advance,” he argued.Story continues below this adThe IRC member also argued for laxity in seatbelt rules in hilly areas. “I checked from many police stations… in many of the road accidents wherein vehicles rolled down hillside, bodies were found trapped with seatbelts. I believe there is a need to rethink this front.”On August 1, Jaswant wrote a letter to the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, urging an expert committee to review Section 194B of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (as inserted by the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019) for Hilly States. The MV Act’s Section 194B necessitates seat belts for four-wheeler drivers and passengers.He said, “During sudden landslides or rockfalls, occupants may have only a few seconds to react, and it is also tough to come out of a vehicle with a belt on. Many residents believe that in certain situations the ability to exit a vehicle quickly may be an important factor in survival. This concern deserves careful examination based on scientific evidence and accident records rather than assumptions.”During the 2025 monsoon between June 30 and September 15, the state recorded a total of 189 fatal casualties in road accidents.Story continues below this adA senior police officer said, “Himachal has identified 519 accident-prone black spots, of which around 310 were rectified. The state has also identified 1,643 vulnerable road stretches, with 1,089 addressed and remedial work pending at 554 locations.”