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Chandigarh roads death traps for cyclists, pedestrians, two-wheeler riders
Light-motor vehicles such as cars, taxis and vans caused the highest number of fatalities as these were behind 75 of the total 83 road deaths recorded in the year in Chandigarh
City roads are risky for pedestrians, cyclists and those on two-wheelers as these groups made up for the highest number of road fatalities in 2022, the Road Accidents in India report released by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (Transport Research Wing) revealed.
Light-motor vehicles such as cars, taxis and vans caused the highest number of fatalities as these were behind 75 of the total 83 road deaths recorded in the year. The maximum fatalities were seen among two-wheeler riders, most of these caused by cars.
Cars remained the safest mode of transport, with not a single car occupant dying on city roads in the last year. However, these pose a risk to other commuters, data shows. For instance, of the 12 cyclists who died on city roads in 2022, eight had met with an accident with a car. Of the 23 pedestrians killed in the said year, 11 were run over by cars.
Most car occupants involved in road crashes, however, got away with minor injuries.
City Beautiful saw 46 pedestrian accidents, out of which 23 were fatal. Cyclists were involved in 25 accidents, out of which 12 proved fatal. For two-wheelers, of the 107 accidents, 47 were fatal.
Speeding to be blamed
Member of National Road Safety Council, Kamaljeet Singh Soi said, “The main reason behind most road accidents in the city is speeding. As Chandigarh has wider roads, commuters tend to speed. Besides, the count of SUVs is also going up in the city, which cause more deadly accidents.”
Even though cycle tracks are being constructed across the city, poor implementation has led to cyclists continuing to use the main road, putting their lives at risk. Besides, there are no laws against jaywalking and many people are unaware that they are supposed to cross the road only via zebra crossings. Senior superintendent of police (SSP, traffic) Manisha Choudhary remained unavailable for comments despite several attempts.
The price of riding helmetless
While two-wheeler riders made up for the maximum road mishap deaths in the city in 2022, the Road Accidents in India made another startling revelation. Thirty percent of the two-wheeler riders who died in mishaps were not wearing helmets. Road safety expert Harman Sidhu said, “While a large number of challans are issued every year, authorities must introspect why people are still not wearing helmets. There are many unauthorised sellers who sell substandard helmets and their sale also needs to be curtailed.”
As per the report released by the ministry, the city has the fifth highest number of accidents among all union territories and fourth highest number of fatalities among UTs.
