You're navigating a packed road, barely a few inches between your car and the next vehicle, when a biker suddenly forces through, brushing against your side mirror. There's no time to react. Just a jolt and the sound of metal scraping before they disappear into traffic. It feels like reckless impatience, but it's part of a larger trend playing out on city roads.

A study by Greater Chennai Traffic Police confirms that in congested areas, bikers crash while forcing their way through traffic, while on wider roads, they speed and put pedestrians at risk. Of the 3,460 road accidents recorded in 2024, nearly half involved a two-wheeler.

The study states that seven of Chennai's top ten two-wheeler accident zones, including Adyar (240), Thirumangalam (194), and T Nagar (193), have narrow roads due to ongoing infrastructure work. Police found that bikers caused side-impact crashes while overtaking in these congested stretches.

On narrow and congested roads such as OMR, Madipakkam-Medavakkam Road, and Sardar Patel Road, metro and drainage works have left uneven asphalt patches, creating skid zones. "Uneven curbs and rough patches make it impossible for bikers to maintain balance," said K Surendar, a resident-activist from Thoraipakkam. "With barricades and gravel pushing them to the edge, they're forced into last-second turns, putting them directly in the path of bigger vehicles."

On the contrary, wider roads such as Anna Salai and EVR Periyar Salai, now free of construction, have become high-speed corridors for bikers, witnessing more head-on collisions and putting pedestrians at risk. With no barriers or dedicated lanes, they accelerate unchecked, making crossings unpredictable.

Pedestrians assume open roads are safer, but speeding bikes give them no time to react. Accidents have surged at crossings without proper signals. Without adequate walking spaces, pedestrians step directly into traffic, leading to sudden crashes.

Street vendors in areas such as Washermenpet and T Nagar add to the risk, forcing pedestrians onto active lanes. Bikers, trying to avoid stalls, often end up colliding with people instead, said Anish M, who recently met with an accident while crossing Thiruvottiyur High Road. Corroborating this, the study confirms that shopping hubs on wider roads have become major motorcycle-pedestrian conflict zones, accounting for nearly one-third of the 306 accidents reported in bazaars.

Chennai has yet to adopt smart traffic systems that could curb biker risks. Cities such as Singapore and Tokyo use AI-driven signals to adjust speeds in pedestrian-heavy zones, while London and New York have pedestrian-first signal phases to reduce crashes. In contrast, Chennai relies on manual enforcement, leaving violations unchecked and accidents unavoidable, said S Kamal, a transportation activist.

Traffic police assistant commissioner Baskar stated that the city has over 300 remote-controlled traffic signals, with plans to introduce 55 adaptive signals that adjust waiting times based on real-time traffic flow. On pedestrian safety, he said that in addition to special drives against wrong-side driving, routine enforcement continues, with nearly 70,000 cases booked each month.

Beyond enforcement, vehicle design itself is contributing to crash severity, according to the GCTP study. "Bikes with a heavier frame and a high centre of gravity are more prone to skidding under sudden braking, making it harder to regain control," said R Murugan, an automobile engineering professor.

Their longer stopping distance increases the risk of hitting pedestrians or crashing into vehicles, especially at high speeds. On narrow roads, lighter scooters were disproportionately involved in side-impact collisions, likely due to their lower frame stability and tendency to wobble under sudden manoeuvres.