E-Paper
Bengaluru records 10-year high in fatal accidents in 2023
An analysis of fatalities in road accidents revealed that 70% of these incidents involved two-wheelers, with issues such as non-usage or improper use of helmets
saw a 10-year high in fatal accidents in 2023, according to the data released by the traffic police department. A total of 909 individuals lost their lives in 880 fatal accidents on the city’s roads last year.
In comparison, 2022 reported 772 deaths in 752 accidents. The overall number of accidents surged from 3,822 in 2022 to 5,004 in 2023.
The data also highlighted an upward trend in fatalities over the last five years, depicting a concerning rise in road safety. In 2018, Bengaluru recorded 663 road fatalities, followed by 746 in 2019, 621 in 2020, 621 in 2021, 752 in 2022, and a staggering 880 in 2023.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) MN Anucheth however said that even though the number of accidents is high, the average number of fatalities is coming down. “If you look at the accidents per one lakh vehicles in the city, the numbers are declining. The accident fatality rate (deaths in road accidents for every lakh vehicle population) in 2019 was 8.77 and has dipped to 7.5 in 2023,” he said.
Anucheth pointed out that the addition of over 2.5 million vehicles in the last four years contributed to the overall increase in accidents. The data also showed that the number of vehicles in Bengaluru has increased by 58% over the last 10 years. In 2013, there were 49 lakh vehicles and in 2023, the city recorded 1.2 crore vehicles.
An analysis of fatalities in road accidents revealed that 70% of these incidents involved two-wheelers, with issues such as non-usage or improper use of helmets. Pedestrian deaths were also notable, prompting the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) to focus on these areas to reduce accident fatalities.
According to the traffic police department, Bengaluru currently has 60 black spots, defined as locations with either five fatal accidents or 10 non-fatal accidents within a 500-meter stretch of road. The traffic police have addressed 10 of these black spots, aiming to introduce targeted traffic enforcement based on the causes of accidents, such as overspeeding, said Anucheth.
While acknowledging the adoption of technology and contactless enforcement by the Bengaluru Traffic Police, traffic expert MN Sreehari stressed the need for on-ground enforcement to ensure road discipline. “Despite the use of technology only on-ground enforcement can control the traffic problem in the city. Booking cases using technology often doesn’t act as a deterrent,” he said.
