DEATH, IT would appear, moved on wheels in 2005 in Bhopal! Number of casualties in road accidents in the year broke the previous records.
The figure of 206 deaths in road mishaps is not only the highest in the last seven years but also shows that accidents claimed three times more lives than murders.
Clearly, the wheel turned killer like never before. In all, the State capital recorded 2,682 accidents in which 2,567 persons were injured and 206 died. The figure has not taken in to account the persons who were injured in December-end and succumbed early this month. Still, this is a 17 percent increase in number of deaths due to mishaps compared to the previous year.
The year 2004 had recorded 171 deaths. A year before there were 201 deaths—the figure had gone up due to two major accidents in rural areas in which more than a dozen persons had died.
Though a complete analysis of the figures are yet to be made, the Ayodhya by-pass road has emerged as the biggest killer where number of deaths in road accidents this year was over 45. Officials admit that the number of deaths has been growing.
They cite rash driving, increasing number of vehicles, rising population, lack of traffic personnel and funds apart from the unchecked growth of colonies in the outskirts as reasons for the rising mishap deaths. Compared to deaths due to accidents, the figure of persons who were murdered was just 74.
{{/usCountry}}They cite rash driving, increasing number of vehicles, rising population, lack of traffic personnel and funds apart from the unchecked growth of colonies in the outskirts as reasons for the rising mishap deaths. Compared to deaths due to accidents, the figure of persons who were murdered was just 74.
{{/usCountry}}‘The death rate is alarming because Bhopal is still not a metro and has less traffic. Besides, there are no cycle-rickshaws and few handcarts that cause traffic bottlenecks in most places”, remarked an official.
“The Road Safety Week is underway and it is aimed at creating traffic awareness so that people could learn to abide by traffic rules and secure their lives”, he added.
State’s figure crosses 4,000
ON AN average Madhya Pradesh records more 4,000 deaths in average 30,000 accidents every year. In 2002, the figure of death in the State in road mishaps was 4141, which increased to 4523 the next year and 4703 in 2004. The data for 2005 is yet to be compiled but every year the number has been shooting up.