70% accidents on NH-17 occur due to human error: Police

Sunday morning accident that claimed the lives of four city residents is not the first in the dark history of the Mumbai-Goa highway (NH-17).

Sunday morning accident that claimed the lives of four city residents is not the first in the dark history of the Mumbai-Goa highway (NH-17).

HT Image

The 578-km killer road had witnessed 2,357 accidents in 2009-10 of which 474 were fatal, which led to death of 517 people while 1,772 people sustained serious injuries in 706 accidents.

NH-17, which connects the city to Goa, is known for several dark spots and narrow stretches.

“We identified 200 dark spots where accidents have been taking place frequently for several years. We have written to the concerned authorities to address the issue, yet nothing has been done,” said a senior official of the highway police on the condition of anonymity.

The highway also has several dangerous turns and slopes which coupled with Narrow width makes it accident-prone.

“Since most commuters use this highway at night, it makes the drive even more dangerous,” said an officer.

“Several of the accidents occur because the commuters drive at night by when they are fatigued and often they doze off while driving. On several occasions we found drivers drunk,” said the officer.

Officials of the highway police told HT that several people who are regular users of the highway found the narrow road trecherous and difficult to maneuver.

“There have been several cases where an accident had occurred because the driver was trying to overtake someone,” the officer added.

According to the police, over 70% of the accidents which occur on the highway are due to human error. “Overloading of vehicles and areas where the roads run through villages makes it a risky drive,” said the officer.

Adding to this are the narrow road and blind curves at several points.

Also, overgrown tree branches and lack of adequate signals add to the tendency of people to meet with accidents.