Deaths down by 22%, but road crashes still biggest killer in Himachal

Director general of police (DGP) Sanjay Kundu said that every year about 3,000 road accidents and 1,200 deaths due to the same take place in Himachal Pradesh

Deaths caused in roads accidents in Himachal Pradesh has witnessed a significant drop of 22% in 2020 as about 788 persons have died so far this year (January 1 to November 30) as compared to 1,020 fatalities reported in 2019.

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Similarly, the state has witnessed 2,014 accidents in 2020 as compared to 2,629 accidents in 2019 resulting in a reduction of road accidents by 23% while as many as 2,855 persons have been injured in road accidents in 2020 as compared to 4,541 in 2019,thus reducing the total number of accident injuries by 37% in 2020 than last year.

Director general of police (DGP) Sanjay Kundu said that every year about 3,000 road accidents and 1,200 deaths due to the same take place in Himachal Pradesh. “If we compare this with the 100-odd murders that take place in the state every year, it would astonishingly reveal that road accidents pose the biggest threat to human lives in Himachal Pradesh,” said Kundu.

He said that as per a Union road transport and highways ministry report released in 2019, Himachal Pradesh is nationally ranked 20 in terms of deaths caused by road accidents and holds the 22nd spot as far as the number of road mishaps are concerned, despite the state’s lower population.

“It may be due to the fact that each accident taking place in the state results in more than one death and sometimes in case of large vehicles, causalities may even be in double digits in one road accident,” he added.

In order to continue mutual cooperation in reducing the number of road accidents and the deaths caused by them, the Himachal Pradesh Police has urged the people of the state to avoid drinking and driving, overspeeding, negligent driving, venturing out during thick fog with exception to emergencies, avoiding black ice and being careful of vehicular traffic during morning and evening walks, as data has revealed that dawns and twilights have higher incidents of accidents involving pedestrians.