Assam recorded a dramatic fall in road fatalities on New Year’s Eve, with only one death reported on December 31, 2025, highlighting the impact of sustained and strict enforcement of traffic and road safety rules across the state. The figure marks a sharp contrast to the situation four years ago, when 12 people lost their lives on the same night.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hailed the outcome as a major success of the government’s road safety strategy and said the next goal is to achieve zero fatalities in the coming year. In a post on social media platform X, Sarma said the state had launched a focused mission four years ago to strictly enforce traffic regulations on New Year’s Eve, a period traditionally associated with higher accident risks due to celebrations and increased road movement. He pointed out that fatalities have steadily declined since then, dropping from 12 in 2022 to six in 2023, five in 2024 and just one in 2025. Describing the progress as deeply satisfying, the chief minister said there is no greater achievement than saving human lives.
The Assam Police have been carrying out intensified enforcement drives during year-end celebrations since 2022, targeting drunken driving, overspeeding and other serious traffic violations. These measures, officials said, have played a crucial role in reducing accidents during peak festive hours.
In Guwahati, the impact of these efforts was even more pronounced. Joint Commissioner of Police Ankur Jain said the city reported zero road accidents on December 31, 2025, despite large crowds and multiple public celebrations. Speaking at a press conference, Jain said traffic enforcement throughout 2025 led to the collection of ₹50.21 crore in fines for violations, reflecting both stricter checks and greater compliance pressure.
Sharing broader crime and traffic statistics, Jain said Guwahati recorded 1,026 road accidents in 2025, down from 1,218 cases in 2024. Overall crime in the city also declined significantly, with 5,786 cases registered in 2025 compared to 7,412 the previous year and 9,393 in 2023. He added that police made major gains in reducing the backlog of cases, with pending matters falling to 2,882 by the end of 2025 from over 35,000 pending at the start of 2021.
The quality of investigations also showed marked improvement. Jain said the charge sheet filing rate rose to 68.34 per cent in 2025, up from 42.56 per cent in 2024 and 19.13 per cent in 2023. Conviction rates improved substantially as well, increasing from 4 per cent in 2021 to 28.5 per cent in 2025, while cases registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita recorded a conviction rate of over 86 per cent.
Crimes against property saw a notable decline, with 1,854 cases registered in 2025 compared to 2,804 in 2024. Vehicle theft cases dropped sharply to 553 from 1,118 a year earlier. Police also recovered 1,159 stolen mobile phones during the year and arrested 203 people in connection with mobile thefts.
On the anti-narcotics front, Guwahati police registered 406 drug-related cases in 2025, arresting 555 individuals. The estimated market value of seized contraband stood at ₹28.86 crore.
Officials said the combined effect of rigorous traffic enforcement, improved investigation standards and continuous monitoring has significantly strengthened public safety in Guwahati and across Assam, particularly during high-risk periods such as New Year’s Eve.
