In GB Nagar, 3 road accidents are reported every day, shows traffic police data

A total of 852 road accidents have occurred in Gautam Budh Nagar district in the first nine months of 2023, resulting in 336 deaths and 610 injuries. This marks an increase compared to the same period last year, despite efforts to reduce accidents. Speeding, wrong-lane driving, and drink driving were cited as the main causes, along with faulty road engineering. Two-wheeler riders accounted for the majority of fatalities. The traffic police plan to reduce the speed limit on the expressway as winter approaches to prevent further accidents.

The district has recorded as many as 852 road accidents in the first nine months of 2023, in which 336 people were killed and 610 individuals were injured, according to the data shared by the Gautam Budh Nagar traffic police. This means that roughly three accidents take place every day in Noida and Greater Noida, which is a rise when compared to the same period last year, said traffic police officers.

Prior to May 2023, traffic police said there were 15 black spots—accident-prone areas — in the city and these were reduced to 11, after the department took corrective measures and various remedial action. (HT Archive)

In the corresponding period last year, the district recorded 811 road accidents in which 325 people were killed and 602 were injured. The data shows an increase by 41 accidents in 2023 while fatalities increased by 11 despite police taking measures to reduce the number of black spots in May 2023.

Prior to May 2023, traffic police said there were 15 black spots—accident-prone areas — in the city and these were reduced to 11, after the department took corrective measures and various remedial action.

According to the revised list, the 11 black spots include Sector 21/25 roundabout, Rajnigandha roundabout, Sector 37, Mahamaya flyover, GIP Mall, Hajipur underpass, Yamaha Exit in Surajpur, and two zero points -- on Noida Expressway near Sector 168 and the on NH-24 -- and under Sector 58.

Anil Kumar Yadav, deputy commissioner of police (traffic), said, “Most of the accidents occurred due to speeding, wrong-lane driving, and drink driving. In some cases, faulty road engineering also led to accidents.”

“Two-wheeler riders accounted for a majority of fatalities this year, and to prevent such accidents, the traffic police department is collaborating with other departments to rectify faulty road engineering, among others,” said Yadav.

Referring to the accident on Yamuna Expressway early Saturday, in which six people were killed, after their Eeco van was rammed by an unidentified vehicle, the DCP said speeding is the main reason for any road accident. The Eeco van involved in the accident was issued a fine for speeding by the automatic speed detector cameras installed on the expressway. The accident had taken place within minutes of the camera issuing the fine, he said.

“As winter sets in, the traffic police will hold a meeting with Yamuna authority officials and reduce the speed limit on the expressway. Last year, we reduced the speed limit from 100 km/hour to 80 km/hour for light vehicles and from 80km/hour to 60km/hour for heavy vehicles from mid-December to mid-February. The speed limit on the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway was also reduced from 100km/hour to 75km/hour,” the DCP said.

An official of the Yamuna authority said on condition of anonymity, “Decision on speed limit will be taken in a meeting to be held soon.”

“Between January to September 2021, 279 people lost their lives in 590 road accidents, while 413 were injured. During the corresponding period in 2020, 255 were killed in 509 accidents and 382 were injured. Before the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019, 852 accidents took place in which 365 people died and 662 were injured,” the Noida traffic police data showed.

The data shows that accidents and fatalities are higher this year, when compared to the past three years.

According to the data, as many as 4,674 accidents took place from January 2019 to September 2023, in which 2,020 people lost their lives and 3,452 sustained injuries.

Anurag Kulshrestha, advisor to Gautam Budh Nagar’s road safety cell and president of TRAX, an NGO working on road safety, said, “The traffic police should work on traffic management instead of just enforcement. The department should focus on ensuring lane driving to prevent accidents.”

“Speeding is not just driving above the set speed limit. If anyone is moving or overtaking a vehicle against traffic, it is called speeding and that can also cause accidents. The traffic police should penalise such drivers too,” said Kulshrestha.