Illegal highway cuts turn deadly in MP:Dividers broken for easy access to roadside spots; 188 killed in 3 years

“I only wanted to save a few minutes… I didn’t know it could cost a life.”
This mindset is turning Madhya Pradesh’s highways into silent killers. Across the state’s 70,000-km road network, people have been illegally breaking highway dividers to create shortcut entry and exit points—for dhabas, petrol pumps, religious places, service centres, and even their homes. What looks like a small convenience—saving just 200 to 500 metres—has led to 188 deaths in the last three years. 1,500 illegal cut points, none officially marked—but all dangerous More than 1,500 such “cut points” have emerged across Madhya Pradesh. These are not declared black spots, yet they are proving just as deadly. Data presented in the Assembly reveals that after black spots, human-made divider cuts and animal-related accidents have become the biggest reasons for road fatalities in the state. Authorities act, but problem keeps returning The PWD, MPRDC and NHAI have all acknowledged the issue. In the past year, around 40 illegal cut points were closed, but shockingly, almost the same number have reappeared. Officials say these openings are often created overnight by breaking central verges, making enforcement difficult. Notices have been issued multiple times, but no concrete action has been taken due to lack of direct evidence. Now, authorities have started placing large stones and barriers to block these routes permanently. Bhopal highways worst hit: shortcuts fuelling accidents The situation is most alarming on highways around Bhopal: Each of these points increases the risk of sudden turns, wrong-side driving, and high-speed collisions. After cut points, cattle on roads killing more drivers The danger doesn’t stop at illegal cuts. Vehicles crashing into cattle sitting on roads and dividers has emerged as another major killer. According to official data from 2024–25: Officials promise crackdown PWD Engineer-in-Chief KPS Rana says a continuous drive is underway:
“We are identifying spots where cut points repeatedly emerge and will close them permanently.” MPRDC Chief Engineer (Road Safety) Sunil Verma adds: “Whenever such cases come to notice, the cut points are immediately filled. Action is also taken against dhaba and petrol pump operators.” A shortcut that leads to death What begins as a minor attempt to save time is ending in tragedy on Madhya Pradesh’s highways. Until enforcement becomes stricter and public awareness improves, these illegal shortcuts will continue to turn roads into unmarked death zones.