Low visibility, rash driving led to 116 accidents in the last two weeks

Low visibility and rash driving have led to a spate of accidents on Gurugram roads over the last two weeks, with at least 116 incidents being reported from 15 spots, according to the police data

Low visibility and rash driving have led to a spate of accidents on Gurugram roads over the last two weeks, with at least 116 incidents being reported from 15 spots, according to the police data.

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As many as 38 incidents have taken place at four spots on the Dwarka Expressway, of which three were fatal ones. Nine persons have been severely injured and three persons died in these accidents, the police said.

According to the police data, 375 deaths were reported on Gurugram roads last year, from as many as 675 accidents. In January 2020, 85 accidents and 45 on-road deaths were reported, which were majorly caused due to poor visibility, said officials. In February 2020, 88 accidents and 37 deaths were reported.

The police said that deploying personnel and PCR vans at accident-prone spots has failed to help decrease the accidents, as commuters fail to notice stationed vehicles, steep turns or potholes due to zero visibility during the early hours.

On Sunday night, a 38-year-old pilot of Indigo Airlines was killed in an accident in Sector 114, when the car he was driving was rammed by a speeding truck that was being driven on the wrong side. The police said that the truck driver was driving rashly despite low visibility due to fog.

In another incident on Sunday evening, a pedestrian died after he was hit by a speeding motorist near Gwal Pahari on the Gurgaon-Faridabad Road.

KK Rao, the commissioner of police, said that the data includes minor accidents as well, wherein pedestrians and cyclists were hit while crossing the road and while moving on the wrong side of the road. “We have deployed police personnel from all police stations concerned across 33 kilometres of the Delhi-Jaipur highway, starting from the Sirhaul toll plaza to Bilaspur toll plaza, to ensure no truck is stationed on roads at night,” he said.

Rao said the have asked those running eateries to ensure that vehicles are not parked on the expressway and to allot parking spaces for truckers, failing which they would face action.

However, the police also admitted that rash driving remains a major concern.

The Road Safety Authority (RTA) is also analysing the data to pinpoint reasons for the accidents and suggest solutions.

Dhaarna Yadav, secretary, RTA, said that potholes on stretches go unnoticed during fog and the impact of two-wheelers hitting a deep pothole is similar to that of a head-on collision. “We have started distributing reflective jackets to cyclists, bikers and pedestrians to increase visibility in fog and dark, which will reduce road accidents. We have planned to reduce accidents this year and are working towards different strategies to make roads safer for the commuters. We have studied the stretches prone to accidents and have recommended changes to departments concerned,” she said.

Yadav said they are coordinating with other civic agencies and the police to crack down on road violations and improve security measures, such as increasing road signage, to reduce confusion among commuters.