E-Paper
Ludhiana sees three-fold decline in road accident deaths during lockdown
Most road mishaps during the lockdown occurred on the national highway near Sahnewal.
Recording a significant decline in the number of road mishaps, the city witnessed only 17 deaths due to road accidents in the three-month Coronavirus lockdown.
In the same period prior to the lockdown, 53 persons were killed in road accidents, shows official data.
As per the police, due to curfew and restrictions on movement of vehicles in view of coronavirus outbreak, fewer deaths were reported during this period.
Most of the road mishaps (10) during the lockdown occurred on the national highway near Sahnewal.
According to official record, from January 1 to March 22, total 60 cases of road mishaps were reported in the city, out of which, 53 people had lost their lives. During this period, maximum number of road mishaps 29 was reported from zone 4, which includes Jamalpur, Koomkalan, Focal Point, Moti Nagar, Division 7, Meharban and Tibba police stations, while 20 people had lost their lives in the mishaps.
Before the lockdown, 19 people were killed in 17 roads accidents in zone 2, comprising Daba, Shimlapuri, Division 6, Sadar, Dehlon, Dugri and Sahnewal police stations.
From March 23 to June 30 (lockdown period), most deaths (10) were reported from zone 2. Out of 10 deaths, 7 were reported under the Sahnewal jurisdiction. Only 3 deaths were reported from zone 4 after the lockdown was enforced in the city.
Deputy commissioner of police (headquarters) Akhil Chaudhary said throughout the lockdown, movement of vehicles was restricted, following which the number of road mishaps also declined as compared to normal days. He added that in most of the cases, human error had caused the accidents. The police have chalked out special planning to minimise road mishaps, he said.
MAJOR MISHAPS DURING LOCKDOWN
On May 16, a 50-year-old man and his 47-year-old wife had died after a speeding truck hit their motorcycle on the flyover near Sherpur Chowk.
On June 8, an over-speeding SUV belonging to Fazilka Congress MLA Davinder Singh Ghubaya had hit a motorcycle-borne man to death near Mundian on Chandigarh Road. At the time of the accident, the MLA was not in the car.
