Drive carefully, blackspots on Maharashtra highways killed 515 people in four years

Mumbai city news: Police identified nine blackspots on the old Mumbai-Agra highway, where 24 people were killed in 23 crashes last year

Thinking of travelling to Bangalore, Gujarat or Agra soon? Drive carefully. As many as 515 people died in 337 crashes at 50 ‘blackspots’ — accident-prone areas — on Maharashtra’s highways over the past four years, said state highway traffic police.

Most of crashes took place along a 100-km stretch between Achad and Sativli Khind in Palghar. (HT File Photo)

What are the most accident-prone spots? NH 3 — known as the old Mumbai-Agra highway — NH 4, which connects Maharashtra to Bangalore, and NH 48, which connects Maharastra and Gujarat, said police.

Between 2013 and 2016, the most accidents took place on NH 48, said highway traffic police. As many as 25 people were killed in 17 crashes at 12 blackspots on NH 48 last year, fewer than 2015’s toll of 60 people, who died in 43 accidents. Most of these crashes took place along a 100-km stretch between Achad and Sativli Khind in Palghar.

In 2016, the most accidents took place along NH 4, which has eight blackspots. As many as 17 people were killed in 28 crashes last year.

Police identified nine blackspots on NH 3, where 24 people were killed in 23 crashes last year. Here, four people were killed in four crashes at Velholi in Thane. Three people were killed in three accidents, which took place at Pundhephata Cherpoli Ghat.

“Pedestrians were involved in the accidents at Velholi and Kativli Vashind-Pali. It is difficult for pedestrians to manoeuvre traffic and cross the highway. They are often run over by speeding cars and trucks. We installed speed-breakers, but the situation has not improved much,” said inspector Rajesh Jadhav at Vashind police station.

The highway also witnessed five crashes at Gurunanak Dhaba-Atgaon last year – the highest in the past four years. “The spot where these crashes took place is sharply curved. Most motorists fail to take this into account. We had written to the National Highways Authority of India and the highway traffic police, asking them to install proper signs at regular intervals. Most of the speeding vehicles end up crashing against the highway wall owing to the curve,” said Sanjay Dhumal, inspector, Shahapur police station.