No wonder, India’s rank in the list of countries with the highest accident rate is 90th. Delhi has a 20 percent accident rate, followed by Mumbai with around 18 percent. Bengaluru is the least accident-prone city in India. One reason for so many road accidents happening in Delhi is that it has almost three times the number of cars compared to Mumbai. In fact, Delhi’s car population is higher than the total number of cars in the other three metros. Even then, the accident percentage in both the cities is almost at par.
Some interesting nuggets have emerged from various road suveys. for instance, Noida Sector 12 in Delhi has most accidents in the national capital. In Mumbai, Ghatkopar West is most accident-prone. Bommanahalli in Bengaluru, Madhapur in Hyderabad, Guindy Industrial Estate in Chennai and Park Circus in Kolkata have the maximum accident rates when other major cities are considered.
After Mumbai, Yeotmal (247), Ahmednagar (160) and Chandrapur (155) districts witnessed a rise in the number of road accidents. As far as fatalities are concerned, Buldhana (95) and Ahmednagar (84) districts have recorded the highest rise. The number of injured were most in Nagpur rural (306), Pune rural (294) and Solapur rural (279) in the first six months of last year, as compared with the same period of the earlier year. On the other hand, Nanded (20), Dhule (10) and Parbhani (2) showed reduction in the number of road crashes. The number of road accident injuries in Mumbai (90), Latur (19) and Nanded (10) has gone down.
In Maharashtra, the state transport department reports that 31458 road accidents occurred in Maharashtra killing 8068 people and injuring 14200 between January and June 2022. There is a sudden spurt since in the same period in 2021, there were 14420 road accidents in which 6837 people died and 11030 were hurt. The trend is on the upward year on year but only lip service is given to the grim scenario.
The Maharashtra Highway police department has been compiling the road accident data in the state’s 35 districts and 10 major towns under police commissioners. The data is collected and analysed and preventive measures are initiated to bring down the number of road accidents and fatalities, the police say. But the average road user will certainly endorse the fact that hardly any police personnel is seen in Mumbai and elsewhere, especially on the highways. Curiously, the data claims that in some districts and police commissioner areas, the number of road accidents, fatalities, and injuries has come down.
Of the state’s total road accidents last year, 15132 occurred in Mumbai in the first six months of 2022. Fortunately, even though the number of accidents went up by 14008, the deaths and injuries were found to have reduced by 46 percent and 90 percent, respectively, as compared to the corresponding period of 2021.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari has been highlighting the need for better road engineering so as to reduce accident spots on the highways, CCTV monitoring, strict enforcement, awareness drives and restrictions on heavy vehicles during peak hours. If these measures are implemented in letter and spirit, the number of road accidents will certainly see a substantial reduction.
Maharashtra has a vehicle population of more than 3.5 crore and a road network of more than 17725 km of national highways, 29000 km of state highways and 63886 km of other roads. According to a finding of the Maharashtra Highway Police on road accidents in 2020, almost 30 percent of the road accidents in the state occur in Pune, Solapur, Ahmednagar and Nashik districts.
Lack of concern and discipline by road-users cause most accidents and crashes. The other main causes are overspeeding, drunk driving, signal jumping, not using safety gears like seat belts and helmets, no lane discipline, overtaking in prohibited areas and wrong-side driving are the most common mistakes or human errors committed by road users in Maharashtra, it has been pointed out time and again. But there is no change.
Traffic experts blame the driving licence issuing system, which needs a complete overhauling. It is a pasture for corrupt officials and unscrupulous driving school owners. This lapse is backed the absence of effective road safety education, improved road conditions and the rise in the number of vehicles. Nowadays, the traffic police have started issuing e-challans instead of visible enforcement. There is hardly any proper vehicle maintenance or checking. Expectedly, the rise in the number of accidents is the consequence. Road safety experts blame the state government for failing to provide effective road safety education to the road-users. They find that the road safety campaigns in Maharashtra happen in a superficial and stereotypical manner, not leading to any value education.
The principal reasons for road accidents are :– Over speeding, dangerous overtaking, lane cutting, drunk driving, overcrowding and overloading, lack of driving skills and inadequate knowledge of traffic discipline, fatigue of drivers, wrong parking of vehicles and non-use of protective gear like helmets and seat belts.
In short, the malady is known, the remedy is known but action is not taken. Unless the police presence is more effective, road accidents will continue to happen, in an increasing number every next day.
