E-Paper
Over 17,327 people killed in road accidents caused by speeding in 2019-20 in Pune
More than 17,327 people have lost their lives in road accidents caused by speeding vehicles across Maharashtra in 2019 and 2020 despite stringent traffic measures by authorities
More than 17,327 people have lost their lives in road accidents caused by speeding vehicles across Maharashtra in 2019 and 2020 despite stringent traffic measures by authorities. Statistics compiled by the Maharashtra highway police reveal that over 17,327 people have died while 32,669 have been injured in a total 9,464 accidents in 2019 and 2020. According to the police, speeding remains the leading cause of accidental deaths, especially on highways. During the same period, the police have registered 1,106,669 and 154,846 cases against drivers for speed violation in 2020 and 2019, respectively.
An officer from the state highway police said, “Speeding is the main reason behind accidents on highways across Maharashtra, followed by drunken driving, driving on the wrong side, and use of mobile phones among others. More people have died on highways across the state because of speeding as drivers do not follow traffic rules leading to head-on collisions.”
The data further reveals that 542,891 cases were registered for lane-cutting in 2020 while 273,307 such were registered in 2019. As per the data, most of the fatal accidents in 2019 and 2020 took place during peak evening hours between 6 pm and 9 pm. In 2020, around 2,041 fatal accidents were reported between 6 pm and 9 pm while 2,187 fatal accidents were reported between 6 pm and 9 pm in 2019.
Sunita Salunke-Thakare, superintendent of police (traffic), said, “We have been working closely with various organisations to try and find the causes of accidents and bring down the number of fatalities, as is done on the Mumbai-Pune expressway.”
Since March 2021, the police have started an intensive drive to book violators through the e-challan system however people are not paying on time. “People are not paying on time; they don’t care about mounting dues and this might be one of the reasons behind accidents,” said Salunkhe-Thakare.
She elaborated that considering the recurring accidents along a stretch of Bhor ghat, they held a meeting with IRB and MSRDC officials wherein it was found that the lack of light on that particular stretch was the reason behind frequent accidents. Thereafter, lights were installed through MSRDC and the IRB carried out work related to rumblers.
Salunkhe-Thakare further said, “We have launched the ‘highway mrityunjay doots’ schemes under which we have identified small hotels, dhabas, petrol pumps and tea stalls through which we can deliver immediate assistance to accident victims. As of now, we have a ready list of 500 to 600 ‘highway mrityunjay doots’ across Maharashtra who can work as first responders to accident victims in particular areas,” said Salunkhe-Thakare.
The highway police are also working with many NGOs and local bodies to provide first-aid to accident victims and assist the police in ferrying them to the nearest trauma centres and hospitals. Effective implementation of traffic rules can lead to a significant reduction in road accident fatalities and can augment road safety in the state, Salunkhe-Thakare said.
Data compiled by the Maharashtra highway police also reveals that more than 7,327 people have lost their lives in accidents on national highways in Maharashtra in the last two years despite stringent traffic measures by authorities. As per the data, 7,327 people have died in a total 14,861 accidents. In 2019, Maharashtra recorded a total 8,360 accidents on national highways under various authorities including the NHAI, state PWD and other departments in which 3,799 people lost their lives. Similarly in 2020, around 3,528 people reportedly died in 6,501 accidents on national highways across Maharashtra. According to the data, 4,870 accidents were reported on national highways under NHAI in 2020 while 5,716 were reported on national highways under NHAI in 2019.
